TTC report mum on rival access as Rogers eyes 5G upgrades to downtown subway by fall

A new Toronto Transit Commission (TTC) report says Rogers will look to upgrade parts of the downtown subway network with 5G cell access by this fall.

Although Rogers says it is committed to providing other wireless carriers access to the network, the TTC CEO report doesn't say whether customers of other companies will have service at that time.

The report slated to go before the TTC board Wednesday says Rogers will look to provide 5G capability along Line 1's tunnels and stations from Union station north to St. George and Bloor-Yonge stations by the start of the school year.

While Bell and Telus have both advocated for a model that would see the companies expand and upgrade the network together, rejecting a pay-for-access approach, Rogers has not publicly committed to either model since its April takeover of rights to the TTC network.

Freedom Mobile was the only carrier to sign on with the previous owner of the TTC wireless 3G and 4G network, limited to subway platforms, concourses and about one-quarter of tunnels, mostly downtown.

The TTC report says Rogers is eyeing 5G capability along Line 2 from Keele to Castle Frank stations by winter 2023, while preliminary design work has started on the rest of the tunnel network.