Videotron has selected Samsung Canada to power its 5G and 4G LTA-A services.
Starting in 2020, Samsung will supply Videotron with Massive-MIMO and dual-band base stations across Ottawa and Quebec. The 5G base stations will support both 3.5GHz and 28GHz spectrums once they roll out.
Samsung said the partnership marks the first time that they’re providing network services in Canada.
As one of the few end-to-end network solution providers, Samsung has deployed its 5G equipment with the top three South Korean telecom companies. In an April press release, Samsung wrote that it deployed over 53,000 5G base stations and core solutions across 85 Korean cities.
Korea’s 5G massive-MIMO Units (MMU) currently operate in the 3.5GHz wireless frequency.
Samsung said that its equipment can switch from non-standalone (NSA) to standalone (SA) through a software upgrade.
Quebecor, Videotron’s parent company, spent CA$256 million in the April 600MHz Canadian 5G spectrum auction, securing 10 low-frequency blocks for transmitting data across Quebec, eastern Ontario, and Outaouais.
“Given the wide range of opportunities for new services that 5G technologies will provide, we wanted to team up with a partner that fully understands the actual and future needs and reality of our consumers,” wrote Videotron in an email to IT World Canada. “Samsung is able to achieve exactly that, particularly from its expertise in both the network equipment development and deployment as well as in the development and marketing of mobile devices.”
IT World Canada also asked Videotron about the scale of the deal, coverage improvement plans, and partnership exclusivity, but Videotron declined to comment, citing competitive reasons.