The IT Nerd

I got some news today from Rogers. LTE is live in Toronto, Montreal, and Vancouver. Those cities join Ottawa in having LTE. That in itself would be big news. But there’s actually more news. From their posting on Redboard:

On October 18, we kick off what will be the widest selection of devices with a Rogers exclusive HTC Jetstream LTE tablet, the fastest tablet in Canada. This Android 3.1 tablet boasts LTE + Wi-Fi  connectivity, a 10” high resolution touchscreen, 32 GB capacity, and dual-core 1.5GHz processor. Add the HTC Scribe digital pen accessory and you can even sketch, highlight, take notes, or sign documents on your tablet. Rogers customers can reserve this tablet, the Samsung Galaxy S II LTE smartphone, or the LTE Rocketmobile hotspot (Sierra Wireless AirCard 754S) online today at www.rogers.com/lte.

And to borrow a quote from Steve Jobs, there’s one more thing:

To celebrate the expansion of Canada’s first LTE network, we’ve also introduced a special, limited time offer that provides LTE customers a chance to purchase one of Rogers largest ever data buckets – 10GB for $52.93 per month on a 3 year plan.

That might keep all but the heaviest surfers happy.

I’m hoping to get a LTE Rocket Stick shortly so that I can tell you what this network is like. When I do, expect to see a review here.

I got an e-mail from “my best friends at Rogers” with the news that LTE is coming to Toronto in late September:

“Starting on September 28, you will have access to the Rogers LTE network. At launch, the Rogers LTE Rocket™ stick will be available so that you can plug into your laptop to access top speeds.  Today, LTE devices are capable of maximum theoretical download speeds of up to 75 Mbps and Ottawa LTE customers are experiencing typical download speeds ranging from 12 Mbps to 25 Mbps. Later this year, Rogers will offer an LTE device will be capable of maximum theoretical download speeds of up to 100 Mbps. As device selection evolves, maximum theoretical download speeds on the Rogers network will increase to up to 150 Mbps.”

So Toronto citizens who were a bit ticked that Ottawa got LTE first will get some LTE love shortly. As for devices, Rogers had news on that as well:

“And new LTE devices are coming to Rogers soon. Later this fall, more LTE devices will be available such as: the Samsung Galaxy S II LTE Smartphone; the LTE Rocket™ mobile hotspot (Sierra Wireless AirCard® 754S); Rogers LTE RocketTM stick (now available in Ottawa); LTE Tablet from a leading manufacturer; and the previously announced HTC Smartphone. More details about these devices will be available closer to launch.”

If you want to score yourself an LTE device, surf over to www.rogers.com/lte. If you’re not in Toronto or Ottawa, Rogers will be heading your way eventually. When I get news, I’ll post it here. But for now, check out the details on Redboard.

If you’re in Ottawa, you’re about to get your LTE fix according to my “best friends at Rogers:”

“We’re thrilled to be first in bringing this world class technology to our customers,” said John Boynton, Executive Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer. “Ottawa has always been a hotbed for innovation, making it the ideal city to launch our LTE network in Canada.”

It’s interesting that Ottawa is going to be the first city to get LTE as Toronto has always been perceived as being the center of the Canadian universe. But the the news doesn’t end there:

Rogers, in collaboration with Sierra Wireless, the second-largest wireless solutions company in Canada, also announced the first LTE-enabled mobile device in Canada. The LTE Rocket stick will deliver speeds that are significantly faster than HSPA+. Rogers’ customers will get the added benefit of reserving their LTE Rocket stick today by visiting a newly created Reservation System; ensuring they are at the front of the line for the device once it becomes available later this summer.

So you’ll be able to surf at speeds not seen before when LTE hits the nation’s capital. Cool!

The question is, what will it cost and what are the caps going to be?

Telus recently announced that they were rolling out a 4G network in March. I wondered at the time if Rogers would move up their timetable for their LTE trials that they had previously admitted to and turn it into a full blown rollout. Today I got my answer via an e-mail that directed me to a post on Rogers Redboard:

Well today, we took a major step forward with the announcement that we are beginning a multi-year deployment of LTE wireless technology in 2011.

It’s clear that the world’s wireless products and networks are evolving to LTE and we’re pleased to lead in bringing this technology to Canadians.

Interesting. There were very few details as to exact timing, but I would expect to see further announcements shortly. The only thing I have to say is that I hope that the benefits of LTE are not overshadowed by low data caps as that would be totally craptastic.

Rogers really wants to be the “go to” guys for your wireless needs. I say that because today they announced Canada’s first LTE trials:

Today, Rogers announced that we will begin a comprehensive technical trial of Long Term Evolution (LTE) on our wireless network. The technical trial will take place in the Ottawa area.

As the first carrier in North American to roll out an HSPA+ network with 21 Mbps, we’re excited about LTE, a 4G technology that allows significantly more data to pass through a network at higher speeds of up to 150 Mbps.

Ericsson, in co-operation with Rogers, has been conducting LTE lab testing comparing speeds and performance of LTE technology in multiple frequency bands. Rogers will expand on this testing and move to a comprehensive technical trial of LTE on both low and high band frequencies across the Ottawa area.

For more information, please see today’s press release here

Or RedBoard here

That’s all the details you’re going to get. Rogers may be my “best friends” but they’re holding their cards close to the vest on this one. Although, perhaps I could be a tester at some point when LTE hits the Toronto area? Come on Rogers, we’re “best friends” after all.

🙂