Rogers Communications today made its final payment to Industry Canada for the spectrum it acquired in the auction that wrapped up in February. It also announced the broad strokes of what it plans to do with its new spectrum and NHL hockey features prominently in its plans.
“We went into this auction with a clear plan to win the best spectrum for our customers. There is clear demand for the ultimate video experience and it will be a big part of how we bring the NHL to hockey fans,” said Guy Laurence, President and Chief Executive Officer.
Video watched on smartphones and tablets has grown more than 700% since 2011 with sports accounting for a significant share of that growth. For example, Rogers saw a 50 percent spike in traffic during the final men’s Olympic hockey games. Being the only carrier to secure two 12MHz blocks of contiguous, paired 700MHz lower band spectrum in virtually every major market across Canada, Rogers will be able to combine the two to deliver “consistently fast downloads and uninterrupted video streaming in more places than ever before.”
Rogers plans to start deploying its new spectrum later this year. Along with the promised improved video streaming, customers should also see better reception in rural areas and inside buildings.
Rogers recently secured Canadian broadcast and multimedia rights for all NHL games, including the Stanley Cup Playoffs and Stanley Cup Final for 12 years in a deal worth CA$5.232 billion.
Source : Rogers