250+ Communities in Rural Canada Get 5G Despite Opposition and Warnings

By B.N. Frank

5G opposition in Canada has been ongoing among citizens, legislators, professors, and scientists (see 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6). Opponents also include former Microsoft Canada president, Frank Clegg, who has been raising awareness about health risks from exposure to all sources of wireless since before the controversial “Race to 5G”.

Nevertheless, 5G deployment continues in Canada.

From RCR Wireless:

Xplornet launches 5G SA network for rural Canada

Canadian rural broadband company launches 5G Standalone in New Brunswick, 250 community expansion planned for 2022

Xplornet Communications announced this week the launch of Canada’s first rural 5G Standalone network. The Fixed Wireless Access (FWA) service goes online first in Xplornet’s home province of New Brunswick. The broadband provider plans to expand throughout the province over the next six months. Xplornet said it will expand its burgeoning 5G SA network to 250 additional communities in rural Canada throughout 2022.

Headquarted in Woodstock, New Brunswick, Xplornet is Canada’s largest rural-focused broadband service provider. The company provides services through a combination of satellite internet and LTE fixed wireless networks. Mobile service in Canada is dominated by Bell, Rogers and Telus, but Xplornet sees opportunity providing both broadband and 5G access to underserviced rural communities. In 2019, Xplornet announced a CDN$500 million, five-year program to expand its hybrid fiber and satellite network. In 2020, Xplornet agreed to be acquired by Stonepeak Infrastructure Partners, a private equity firm. Last December, Xplornet announced it had picked Ericsson as its radio partner for its 5G Standalone play. This past July, Xplornet was awarded 263 licenses for 3.5 GHz 5G spectrum in a Canadian government auction.

“Everyone at Xplornet is proud to be making the investments that will bring the benefits of 5G technology into the homes of families who live outside Canada’s big cities,” said Allison Lenehan, president and CEO of Xplornet Communications.

Xplornet is not alone in seeing opportunity in rural Canada, however. Bell Canada and Casa Systems have teamed up on a fixed wireless access solution announced this past August intended for remote Canadian communities. Casa Systems’ hardware integrates a 5G sub-6 GHz modem and high-gain directional antennas. Bell Mobility announced the expansion of its 5G network to 23 new Canadian markets in May.

Cities AND entire countries have taken action to ban, delay, halt, and limit 5G installation AS WELL AS issue moratoriums due to health, safety, environmental and economic risks.

Since 2017 doctors and scientists have been asking for 5G moratoriums on Earth and in space (see 1, 2) and the majority of scientists oppose deployment. Since 2018 there have been reports of people and animals experiencing symptoms and illnesses after it was installed (see 1. 2, 3, 4).