Rogers Expands its Wireless Network to Improve Safety and Provide Reliable Connectivity along Highways 16 and 14 in B.C. - Seite 2

For Highway 14 - seven new cellular towers will be built by Rogers to provide additional network coverage along the route from Sooke to Port Renfrew. This new highway coverage, as well as a Wi-Fi Hotspot at the Sombrio Rest Area, will provide essential connectivity to those who live, work and visit in this area of Vancouver Island. Construction begins this spring and is estimated to be complete by October 2021.

These expansions are made possible by leveraging financial support from the provincially funded Connecting British Columbia program, administered by Northern Development Initiative Trust. Together, Rogers and the B.C. government, alongside the Government of Canada, are bridging the digital divide to enhance safety, and connectivity in the region. These initiatives are part of Rogers’ ongoing commitment to expand service and improve connectivity for underserved rural, remote and Indigenous communities in the West, and across Canada.

The Rogers team is excited about future plans in Western Canada, and our agreement to combine Rogers Communications with Shaw Communications, which will enable us to invest $6.5 billion to build critically needed 5G networks, connect underserved rural and Indigenous communities, and bring added choice to customers and businesses. When the transaction between Rogers and Shaw is complete, we will be creating up to 3,000 net new jobs in the West, including more than 1000 in British Columbia. And the company will continue to build on that work to bridge the digital divide, and strengthen communities throughout Western Canada, with our proposed $1 billion fund dedicated to connecting rural, remote and Indigenous communities. There is a strong link between mobile broadband adoption and economic development; Ericsson’s research indicates that, on average, a 10 percent increase in mobile broadband penetration, causes a 0.8 percent increase in GDP¹. The ability to scale and make 5G a reality for all Canadians, as well as close the connectivity gap, has never been more important - we recognize the critical importance of our services to Canadians. 5G is also the most energy-aware standard, with advanced features to manage energy consumption and meet the increasing traffic demands², making it the ideal network technology for rural Highways.