Rogers unveils THINKLab advisory council for national tech centre in Calgary
The investment is contingent on full federal approval of the $26-billion merger between Rogers and Shaw
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Rogers Communications is set to invest $6.5 billion into its western Canadian operations once the merger with Shaw is complete.
The Canadian telecommunications giant announced Thursday it would make Calgary its western headquarters while turning Shaw’s Barlow Campus into its National Centre of Technology and Engineering Excellence, dubbed the Rogers THINKLab. The centre will create more than 500 jobs in Calgary.
The investment will also include $1 billion to improve broadband access for rural, remote and Indigenous communities across Western Canada.
“Connectivity in this day and age is one of the fundamental ingredients for everything that’s done,” said Dean Prevost, president of integration for Rogers. “We think at that foundational layer, when we do a good job, industry now broadly has the ability to do their job way better.”
The investment is contingent on federal approval of the $26-billion merger between the two companies, announced in March 2021. The deal received approval by the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission in March, but now must be cleared by the Competition Bureau and Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada. Prevost said he expects that hurdle to be cleared by the end of the second quarter.
Rogers also unveiled an advisory council made up of post-secondary members from Winnipeg to Victoria, with a focus on training talent, recruitment and development.
Deborah Yedlin, president and CEO of the Calgary Chamber of Commerce and chancellor of the University of Calgary, is one of the seven initial members of the panel.
“This council is really important, it shows a commitment to the potential of what we can do in Calgary and as a centre for technology and innovation,” she said. “If we have the talent, we can further build what’s possible, we can further diversify our economy.”
Rogers has partnerships with several universities across Canada, including U of C, but this agreement would bring Shaw’s relationships with NAIT, SAIT and Mount Royal University into the fold.
Recruitment and development of staff is going to be critical for the THINKLab’s success. The Calgary industry is already struggling to fill an estimated 2,000 open positions amid a global shortage of tech talent.
The 500 new positions will include opportunities for people in multiple disciplines and at all levels of experience.
“What we have seen in working very closely with the universities is that the talent is there, the talent is being developed every year,” said Jorge Fernandes, chief technology officer for Rogers Communications. “What we’re doing is positioning ourselves as an attractive destination for talent.”
He said THINKLab will expose young talent to the latest technologies that will be available at top tech firms, and an environment that will allow people new to the industry to develop.
The THINKLab will play a role in the continued diversification of Calgary’s economy, and will build on relationships with the Platform Innovation Centre, Calgary Economic Development and other organizations.
“It’s something that will help drive our economy,” said Mayor Jyoti Gondek. “I’m most excited about the fact that we’re going to be able to enrich people’s experiences in the field of engineering and technology by growing local talent and providing people with opportunities they need to stay here in Calgary and do the work that they love.”
Investing in rural 5G
Rogers also committed $2.5 billion to upgrade 5G connectivity across Western Canada, including $1 billion — about half of which will be in Alberta — in rural, remote and Indigenous areas.
Prevost said it will take five years to complete the Alberta portion of the project to connect customers in all regions of the province at the same speeds as Calgary and Edmonton.
The provincial government has committed $390 million over four years to its broadband strategy, funds matched by the federal government.
The province’s broadband strategy targets 100 per cent connectivity throughout Alberta by the end of the 2026-27 fiscal year. The 2022 report identified 67 per cent of rural Albertans and 80 per cent of Indigenous communities do not have access to reliable high-speed internet at federal target speeds. It also said it would cost $1 billion in infrastructure upgrades.
“Making sure every Albertan in every corner of the province has access to high-speed internet is just mission critical,” said Economy, Jobs and Innovation Minister Doug Schweitzer. “We have to make sure they can take advantage of the long-term opportunities for jobs as well as day-to-day life.”
Fernandes said Rogers would move quickly on its investments into THINKLab and infrastructure once the merger is approved.
Twitter: @JoshAldrich03
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