5G In Canada Guide: WhistleOut Answers Your Questions

5G New Radio (NR) is the next generation of mobile communications. As a successor to 4G LTE, 5G enables new ways to use the mobile internet while solving many limitations of current cell technology. For consumers, the most important improvements come down to higher capacity, faster speeds, low latency, and wireless communication for the Internet-of-Things (IoT) devices. 

Yes, 5G is markedly better than 4G LTE in terms of speed and latency. 5G NR builds on 4G LTE technology by making downloads quicker. Although 4G LTE offers high speed data transfers, 5G introduces low latency connections and download speeds up to 10 times faster. Early telecommunications tests have seen downloads reach 2.0 gigabits, which would let you download a full episode of The Mandalorian in less than 5 seconds. 5G can also increase coverage area and locate devices with pinpoint accuracy because it uses a wider range of frequencies than older 4G. 

There are three frequency ranges: low band, mid band and high band. Low band operates between 600-700 Mhz and has greater range, so it’s useful for large coverage areas. It can be used to provide wireless internet to rural customers across Canada. Low band is also useful when trying to get cell phone signal inside buildings. Mid band frequencies include frequencies of 2.5-3.7 Ghz and are currently used by 4G LTE broadcasts, so upgrading cell tower hardware to support 5G mid band is easy. Mid band is currently used for 5G mobile service throughout Canada. High band frequencies, also called millimetre wave or “mmWave”, use frequencies of 25-39 GHz and enable faster data transfers and low latency connections, but probably won’t be available in Canada until at least 2022. 

• Low-band 5G: As you probably guessed, low-band 5G internet falls on the slower end of things—it will feel a lot like the 4G connection you’ve used for the past couple of years.
• Mid-band 5G: Your internet device will use a mid-band 5G connection if you’re within a mile of a 5G cellular tower. Though it isn’t as fast as 5G wireless can go, a mid-band 5G connection will feel way faster than your old 4G connection. Just think, if a high-band 5G connection maxes out at 1,000Mbps, you can expect a mid-band 5G to be somewhere around 500Mbps, which will feel much faster than what you’re probably used to.
• High-band 5G: If your device can access high-band frequencies, you’ll likely be blown away by your 5G internet speeds. Granted, your internet speed can still fluctuate even with a high-band connection, but you can expect internet speeds to be at least 500Mbps and max out at 1,000Mbps. That means you should be able to download movies, apps, and basically anything else in a couple of seconds.

There are several companies that own 5G NR patents. Most of them supply hardware to the Canadian wireless market including Ericsson, Nokia, Samsung and Huawei. Rogers 5G was the first consumer 5G network to launch in Canada and is built with Ericsson equipment. Bell uses Nokia and Ericsson, Videotron has partnered with Samsung for 5G network hardware and Telus uses all three suppliers. The government of Canada delayed a decision to determine if Huawei can supply hardware to Canadian telecommunications companies for non-critical 5G systems. As a result, it's unlikely that Huawei hardware will be instrumental in building Canada's 5G infrastructure.

Rogers, Bell, and Telus operate nationwide consumer 5G networks in Canada. Service is available in dozens of markets between British Columbia and Quebec with even more coverage expected by the end of the year. Rogers 5G has also been deployed for research purposes with UBC in Vancouver, B.C.; the University of Calgary in Alberta; the University of Waterloo in Ontario; Ryerson University in Toronto, Ontario and as part of a smart city pilot in Kelowna, B.C. Bell 5G has partnered with Western University in London, Ontario to conduct research into 5G technologies. Late in 2020, Videotron announced the launch of its 5G network. Initially exclusive to Montreal, the carrier plans to offer 5G throughout the province of Quebec by the end of 2021.

Rogers 5G towers are found in more than 100 markets across Canada. Bell and Telus launched  5G in Vancouver, Edmonton, Calgary, the Greater Toronto Area, and Montreal but have since activated more towers in dozens of markets nationwide. By the end of 2021, all three national networks plan to cover 70% of Canadians with 5G service. 

Existing 5G coverage maps show spotty coverage in existing cities, but service should become more reliable as more old towers are updated with 5G hardware. Videotron's 5G towers are now online in Quebec with customers in Montreal getting first access. Shaw is launching 5G service throughout Saskatchewan starting December 15, 2021. Other mobile service providers, including Freedom Mobile and Shaw Mobile, are also testing 5G towers for consumer deployment.

• Rogers 5G Coverage Maps — How Rogers coverage compares
• Bell 5G Coverage Maps (scroll to bottom) — How Bell coverage compares
• Telus 5G Coverage Maps — How Telus coverage compares

Smartphones by Samsung, Motorola, and Apple support 5G in Canada. Most are available on 2-year contracts through mobile providers while others can be purchased directly from the manufacturer. Rogers, Bell, Telus, and Videotron officially support 5G on a wide selection of smartphones: 

Apple

• Apple iPhone 12 Mini, iPhone 12, iPhone 12 Pro, iPhone 12 Pro Max

Samsung

• Samsung Galaxy S21 5G, Galaxy S21+ 5G, Galaxy S21 Ultra 5G NEW
• Samsung Galaxy Note20 5G, Galaxy Note20 Ultra 5G
• Samsung Galaxy S20 FE 5G, Galaxy S20 5G, Galaxy S20+ 5G, Galaxy S20 Ultra 5G
• Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5G, Galaxy Z Fold2 5G (Bell only)

LG

• LG V60 ThinQ 5G Dual Screen (Discontinued)
• LG Velvet 5G 

Motorola

• Motorola One Ace 5G NEW
• Motorola edge+

Google

• Google Pixel 5
• Google Pixel 4a with 5G

Some third-party device manufacturers like OnePlus offer 5G-capable smartphones including the OnePlus 8 Pro and OnePlus 9 Pro. However, devices not sold through carriers are not guaranteed access to 5G networks in Canada yet. 

If you bought a 5 G-capable phone before your carrier's network went live, you may need to download a software update for it to work. Contact your mobile provider's customer support team to check for 5G availability. The iPhone 13, 14, and 15 models supports 5G service on every major network.

There is no rush to buy a 5G phone for most Canadians. Current 5G smartphones offer other premium features such as leading-edge Qualcomm CPU performance, brilliant OLED screens, and recording video at up to 8K resolution. These devices can also cost well over $1,000, so you don't shop for a 5G phone if that’s the only premium feature you are looking for. We expect that Canadians won’t see coast-to-coast coverage by 5G cell towers until at least 2022. Besides, Canada’s 4G LTE mobile performance is among the fastest in the world, serves 99% of Canadians, and 4G LTE smartphones will continue to be supported for many years.

A study released by OpenSignal found Canadian 5G networks among the top 5 best in the world for mobile gaming. Integrated 5G core networks in combination with limited adoption by Canadian consumers means that time-sensitive services receive a huge boost when using 5G. Voice app experience, another measure used as a performance metric by OpenSignal, also benefits from Canada's 5G networks. For gamers, a 5G upgrade might give you the edge you need to get that Victory Royale.

The scientific consensus is that there are no dangers to the Canadian public posed by 5G technology. The existing 5G service in Canada uses the same frequencies as current 4G LTE networks. The frequencies used are non-ionizing, which means they don’t cause cancer as x-rays can. Broadcast power levels are regulated by Innovation, Science, and Economic Development Canada (ISED) and are set at levels far below that which is considered potentially harmful. People who are already uncertain of the long-term effects of EMFs are may be concerned as more cell towers roll out.

Some electromagnetic fields can make you sick, but 5G signals emitted by cell phone towers in Canada will not. 5G cellular broadcasts use frequencies and power levels that have been tested for decades and are widely considered to be safe. People who claim to suffer from Electromagnetic Hypersensitivity (EHS) suffer a variety of symptoms. However, no support has ever been found in scientific studies that show EHS to be a medically supported diagnosis. In other words, it’s a trick of the mind commonly referred to as a “nocebo effect”.

5G does not cause coronavirus, despite conspiracy theory videos that state the contrary. Many Canadians have visited our site looking for information about the coronavirus outbreak. There are many conspiracy theories that link this illness to 5G technology, but 5G has no connection with the recent coronavirus infections or the COVID-19 pandemic. It doesn’t weaken your immune system, and it certainly doesn’t manifest the virus in your body. WhistleOut TV explored some of the most common myths surrounding 5G and Coronavirus, how they originated, and why they are false.

Are there 5G transmitters on lampposts?