Canadian tech giants race to introduce fastest service ever
By Aaron Guillen, Staff Reporter
Having frustrations with videos that buffer or websites that take too long to upload? Have no fear; there will soon be a quick fix to those menial problems in your lives.
A new “gigabit” speed, provided by Rogers, Bell, and Telus, is ready to tempt consumers into spending cash—and lots of it. Starting at $150 per month, this new Internet service promises one gigabit per second. This new speed option will download HD movies in a mere 25 seconds, and full photo albums within a literal blink of an eye.
The latest company to reveal their plan for the new cutting-edge service is Rogers with “Ignite Gigabit,” which they plan to roll out in Toronto in the new year. They are expected to start taking pre-orders prior to the end of this year. With a goal of complete reach nationwide by the end of 2016, people will have to wait a while until they can get their hands on the dream Wi-Fi network. Yet the question remains: how will Canadian consumers react?
The introduction of gigabit Internet will most likely be utilized by eager consumers around metropolitan areas with busy schedules and technology-integrated lives, while some Canadians may find the service too redundant to justify the costs.
However, with technology like HomeKit, introduced by Apple and making its way into the homes of Canadians, people may soon find a need for quicker responses and faster speeds when adjusting thermostats or unlocking the front door with their phone. In addition, Rogers, who has manufactured a 4K television, has plans to broadcast Canadian sports games in 4K definition. Additional plans have been in talks with Shomi and Netflix in order to provide clearer streaming quality.
Although Rogers might be at the forefront of the race to consumers, Bell and Telus are not far behind, each with $1-billion investments for their fiber-optic Internet expansions. Rogers has yet to provide their estimates on how much the service will cost them. These giant corporations will go head-to-head to see who can bring the gigabit service to Canadian consumers the most quickly.
“The number of devices connected to the internet in the home is increasing, and they are consuming more internet every month. With our Gigabit roll out, customers can watch TV in 4K and still have their devices streaming movies and shows with clearer picture quality and less buffering,” said Guy Laurence, President and CEO of Rogers Communications, to CTV.
