Rogers details LTE network debut for Toronto

Rogers is launching its next-generation, high-speed wireless network in Toronto on Sept. 28.

Rogers announced the Toronto launch date for long-term evolution (LTE) wireless technology in Tuesday, along with two devices that support LTE that are scheduled to launch this fall:

• The Samsung Galaxy S II LTE smartphone.
• The LTE rocket mobile hotspot, also known as the Sierra Wireless aircard 754S, which can connect up to five devices to the network.

The company said both devices can be reserved online by customers in Toronto and Ottawa starting Tuesday. Rogers announced that it will be launching an LTE tablet in the fall "from a leading manufacturer," but would not provide any further details.

The company also repeated previous promises that LTE will be coming to Montreal and Vancouver in the fall, and that an HTC smartphone that supports LTE will also be launching soon.

Rogers became the first Canadian carrier to launch LTE on July 7, when it lit up its network in Ottawa. The company said Ottawa customers are getting typical download speeds of 12 to 25 megabits per second. That is significantly faster than the seven to 14 megabits per second listed as average by Telus for the previous generation technology known as HSPA. However, it is on the lower end of the theoretical download range of up to 150 megabits per second for LTE technology.

So far, the only LTE-capable device available to Rogers customers is the Rocket Stick USB dongle or mobile hot spot, which allows laptops to access the network and is another Sierra Wireless aircard model.

Bell has also been running its own LTE trials and expects to launch its first network later this year, and Telus will likely follow suit in early 2012.