Why innovation and investment are important to Rogers and Canada

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When Rogers Communications Inc. and Shaw Communications Inc. merged a year ago, it was not only the largest deal in the history of Canadian telecommunications, it was the union of two proud companies, founded by two great Canadian businessmen.

Ted Rogers and JR Shaw were true pioneers of Canadian business and shaped Canada's communications and media landscape into what it is today. They both started small, Ted with a radio station in Toronto and JR with a cable license in Edmonton. They took big risks and made big bets to connect Canadians.

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For many decades, they took on traditional phone companies and became powerhouses through investment, innovation and hard work. They shared a relentless drive to innovate for Canadians and the combined company is committed to keeping this legacy of investment and innovation alive.

Last year, Rogers invested a record $3.9 billion in capital infrastructure, the largest investment in the company's history. In Western Canada, the company brought 5G services to new areas covering 20,000 square kilometers and expanded our cable network to reach 90,000 more homes. This investment also supported ongoing work to deploy separate wired and wireless IP cores to become the first operator in Canada to have a dual core across the country.

In British Columbia, Rogers invested in global wildfire detection and prevention technology. In Toronto, the company built a 5G network in the subway system. In Newfoundland, he made Canada's first satellite-to-mobile phone call, helping to bring coverage to the most remote areas of Canada's massive landmass. We made significant progress connecting rural and remote parts of the country with 5G, including critical stretches along British Columbia's Highway of Tears.

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We know that networks play an integral role in the lives of Canadians, businesses and communities. They are the backbone of our economy and the lifeblood of our digital lives. They require constant investment. That is a fact. Identifying the right areas to innovate is not so obvious.

Like cable TV in the past, we are preparing for the disruption of our 10G Internet roadmap in Canada. It's one of the next big innovations. The next big bet.

This next generation of cable technology was developed with Cable Television Laboratories Inc. (CableLabs), a global leader in research and development. For more than 30 years, this nonprofit technology center has brought together global leaders such as Comcast Corp. and Charter Communications Inc. to develop scalable network technology and standards. This work includes more than 600 patents that help deliver faster speeds and more reliability, and address changing consumer expectations.

Today, Canadians expect an “always on” experience, whether they are at home, at work or on the go. Our 10G network will help us get there with its improved reliability, ultra-low latency, and multi-gigabit speeds up to 10 times faster than today.

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That's why Rogers reinvests 90 percent of our profits in Canada each year. Investments in technology and infrastructure, and in Canadian content and sports. Our investments in Canadian sports and content over the last decade reached $18.9 billion.

Building Canada's digital future requires long-term focus and vision. At Rogers we think in decades, not quarters. We are relentlessly focused on the future and bringing it to Canadians.

That has been our hallmark for the last 65 years and will be for the next 65.

Edward Rogers is the president of Rogers Communications Inc.

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