$45 million investment will help with the development of 5G and advanced network technologies across the Canadian economy
OTTAWA, ON, Dec. 9, 2024 /CNW/ - In a globalized economy, cutting-edge telecommunications are critical to ensuring a competitive edge for Canada. That is why the federal government is investing to strengthen Canada's telecommunications ecosystem.
Today, the Honourable Jenna Sudds, Minister of Families, Children and Social Development, on behalf of the Honourable François-Philippe Champagne, Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry, announced an investment of $45 million in a $66 million project led by the Centre of Excellence in Next Generation Networks (CENGN). This investment, made through the Strategic Innovation Fund (SIF), will support the establishment of a unique 5G testbed and living lab program to develop 5G-enabled applications and advanced network technologies, including artificial intelligence solutions. These key efforts will deliver a wide variety of economic and societal benefits for Canadians through digital transformation.
This project aims to increase productivity across key Canadian economic sectors, including smart manufacturing, mobility, campuses and infrastructure. The program also focuses on environmental sustainability by developing technologies to improve environmental outcomes across multiple industries.
In partnership with industry leaders, the program will enable Canadian small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) to test and develop their advanced network technologies. This 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 enabling 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 economy."
– The Honourable François-Philippe Champagne, Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry
"Since its 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 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, CENGN
Quick facts
- CENGN is a Canadian not-for-profit founded in 2014 with a mission to drive the innovation and adoption of advanced networking technologies in Canada. CENGN's specialization has continued to expand through its living labs, 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.
- Living labs provide the infrastructure used for testing by creating the conditions of a real-life environment. SMEs can validate their technology and show potential customers that it works. These living labs help SMEs adopt their solutions for Canada's key industries, compressing the period from product testing to scale-up.
- 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.
Associated links
Stay connected
Find more services and information on the Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada website.
Follow Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada on social media.
X (Twitter): @ISED_CA | Facebook: Canadian Innovation | Instagram: @cdninnovation | LinkedIn: Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada
SOURCE Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada
Contacts: Audrey Milette, Press Secretary, Office of the Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry, [email protected]; Media Relations, Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada, [email protected]
Share this article