NEWS RELEASE: Government of Canada supporting Canada’s telecommunications ecosystem
In a globalized economy, cutting-edge telecommunications are critical to ensuring a competitive edge for Canada. That is why the Government of Canada is investing in growing our telecommunications ecosystem across the Canadian economy.
Today, the Honourable Jenna Sudds, Minister of Families, Children and Social Development, announced on behalf of the Honourable François-Philippe Champagne, Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry, an investment of $45 million to a $66 million project led by the Centre of Excellence in Next Generation Networks (CENGN). This contribution is an investment made through the Strategic Innovation Fund (SIF) that will support the establishment of a unique 5G testbed and Living Lab program designed to support the innovation, commercialization and adoption of 5G-enabled applications and advanced network technologies, including Artificial Intelligence (AI) solutions, to deliver a wide variety of economic and societal benefits for Canadians through digital transformation.
This project will increase productivity across key Canadian economic sectors, including smart manufacturing, smart mobility, smart campuses, and smart infrastructure. The program also maintains a focus on environmental sustainability by developing technologies across multiple industries to improve environmental outcomes.
In partnership with industry leaders, the program will create a nationwide network of collaborative Living Labs and industry-led programs for Canadian small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) to test and develop their advanced network technologies, which will accelerate the development and adoption of digital solutions in the Canadian economy, driving economic growth, and maximizing value from Canadian intellectual property (IP), while creating well-paying jobs and supporting technological talent development in Canada.
Quotes
“Wireless network technologies such as 5G, are vital to enable a fast, responsive and versatile modern economy. That is why we are investing in Canada’s advanced networks and telecommunications ecosystem to create a 5G testbed, and living labs to ensure that our businesses have the tools they need to compete and thrive in an increasingly globalized world economy.”
– The Honourable François-Philippe Champagne, Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry
“Since it’s founding in 2014, CENGN has been a welcome addition to the Kanata tech community. Telecommunications technologies such as 5G provide the infrastructure that allows our economy to thrive, and the sector is a true catalyst for our economy. Every new job created in the telecommunications industry creates 1.3 new jobs within the broader Canadian economy, and this investment is expected to create and maintain an estimated 400 new highly-skilled jobs across Canada.”
– The Honourable Jenna Sudds Minister of Families, Children and Social Development
“CENGN Living Labs leverage the latest cutting-edge technology in cloud, 5G, and edge computing to provide sector-related testing environments that empower Canadian startups and scaleups for their next step in commercial growth. Our services will enable Canadian innovators to test, validate, and certify their solutions and generate Canadian IP, driving the digital transformation that is essential for enhancing our country’s industry competitiveness and productivity.”
– Jean-Charles Fahmy, President and CEO of CENGN
Quick facts
CENGN is a Canadian Non-profit founded in 2014, with a mission to drive the innovation and adoption of advanced networking technologies in Canada through their Living Labs and advanced networking infrastructure, technical expertise, talent development, and partner ecosystem, enabling the digital transformation and competitiveness of Canadian industry and the commercial growth of Canadian digital technology solutions.
5G refers to the fifth-generation technology standard for mobile networks, which has higher download speeds, larger bandwidth, and reduced latency, delivering faster speeds and the ability to connect more devices than previous generations, improving the quality of internet services in crowded areas.
The Strategic Innovation Fund (SIF) provides major investments in innovative projects that will help grow Canada's economy for the well-being of all Canadians. SIF covers all sectors of the economy and is available to for-profit and not-for-profit organizations with the goal of supporting the Canadian innovation network.
