Rogers the dodger springs LTE summer surprise; Bell to fall behind until winter

Canada’s largest cellco by subscribers, Rogers Communications, has revealed in a news release that it will launch commercial 4G Long Term Evolution (LTE) mobile broadband services in Ottawa this summer, bringing forward previous plans to introduce LTE ‘by the end of the year’. Rogers said its LTE network will provide mobile data speeds that are three to four times faster than its existing HSPA+ (21Mbps) network. As its first LTE-compatible device, it is offering a Sierra Wireless Rocket Stick USB modem costing CAD169.99 (USD173.77) or CAD79.99 on a three-year contract, which will also operate out of LTE coverage zones on Rogers’ HSPA+ and EDGE networks. No monthly data plans were announced. The operator is following a wider strategy to roll out its LTE network in Ottawa, Toronto, Montreal and Vancouver by the end of this year before expanding to 25 markets in 2012. The latest announcement is aimed at securing its position as Canada’s first commercial LTE provider, ahead of national rival Bell Canada (Bell Mobility), which has issued a similar plan to launch in several major markets by the end of 2011.