The Canadian communications company has always loved the lakeside city and is showing it with a $16-million investment to bring reliable 5G wireless technology to Okanagan communities and a Customer Solution Centre in the city with over 110 employees.
“We looked at a lot of BC communities and Kelowna consistently rose to the top of our list. It’s a smaller community with a big city feel. It has a rapidly growing tech sector and a pool of talented people that’s going to allow us to hire over 110 team members by the end of the year for our Customer Solution Centre,” said Rogers BC president Rick Sellers.
Plus, Kelowna remains the largest trading centre between Vancouver and Alberta, with its population steadily growing and boosting its economic prospects. This budding business community is an attractive quality for Rogers, not only for business, but its employees.
“Our employees live here, work here and give back here,” said Sellers.
That’s already started in earnest with Rogers contributing 11,000 meals to the Central Okanagan Food Bank and becoming involved with Accelerate Okanagan, the Kelowna Chamber of Commerce, and the Downtown Kelowna Association.
Making more possible with 5G
Last year, Rogers installed nine new cell towers in the Okanagan and brought Canada’s largest 5G wireless network* to Kelowna, West Kelowna, Peachland, Penticton, Lake Country and Osoyoos.
“Rogers 5G network is now in nearly 70 communities in the province, which covers 86% of the population, offering 10 times more coverage than any other wireless provider,” said Sellers.
5G, the fifth generation of wireless technology, provides the fastest service for consumers, businesses, high-tech companies, institutions and governments.
"In the future, the difference from 4G to 5G will be up to 100 times faster speeds,” said Sellers. “It’s truly a game changer for our communities and businesses.”
As Kelowna densifies and sees increased vehicle and pedestrian traffic in the city, it teamed up with Rogers and UBC Vancouver Campus to develop a solution. The result is Rogers first 5G Smart City. Safe sensor technology has been installed at busy intersections and the Queensway Bus Loop to deliver real-time data to the City of Kelowna on vehicle, cyclist, scooter and pedestrian traffic.
“We can use the information immediately to see near misses between vehicles and pedestrians, we can make a decision to stop allowing right turns on red lights at certain intersections or put up more signage for pedestrians,” said Intelligent Cities Manager Andreas Boehm.
In the future this data will allow real-time responses, for instance switching traffic lights to green to let first responders through or clear traffic after a hockey game at Prospera Place.
New Location, New Opportunities
Rogers local home base is its Customer Solution Centre in the Landmark 4 building in Kelowna.
COVID-19 means the 175 team members hired so far are all working virtually. But, by the end of the year, all 350 team members should be in place and ready to move into Landmark 4 as the pandemic eases.
In hiring for the Customer Solution Centre, Rogers made good on its promise for more diversity and inclusion and 18% of its Kelowna workforce is from nearby Indigenous communities, including Westbank First Nation. The Landmark 4 space also includes a Legacy Room, an art-history-culture-relaxation area, to pay tribute to its Indigenous partners.
“Throughout this experience, I was impressed and enlightened that Rogers placed high value in the recognition and the importance of promoting a greater representation of our Okanagan Indigenous communities in the workplace,” said Westbank First Nation employment coordinator Janice Money.
Also, in service to the Indigenous community, Rogers is proud and humbled to be involved in installing 12 new cell towers along the Highway of Tears. The stretch of road from Prince Rupert and Prince George is not only an important economic link in the North, but a region where a number of women, many of whom are Indigenous, have been murdered or gone missing. The ability to make a call from a highway is not a nice-to-have but a need-to-have and Rogers is doing its part to solve for connectivity along this important corridor.
“Our wireless network will connect everyone to essential services along Highway 16 or the Highway of Tears,” said Sellers.
Together, along with the B.C government and Government of Canada, Rogers is bridging the digital divide and enhancing safety and connectivity in the region, which is part of our commitment to underserved rural, remote and Indigenous communities in the West and across Canada.
If you get value from KelownaNow and believe local independent media is important to our community we ask that you please consider subscribing to our daily newsletter.
