Campus-Wide Engagement: The University of Waterloo’s 5G Partnership of the Future
May 13, 2025—The University of Waterloo and Rogers Communications are demonstrating that strategic partnerships can transform an entire university campus. In late 2019, Waterloo teamed up with Rogers to create central Canada’s first 5G smart campus by integrating 5G into campus infrastructure and supporting it through a long-term strategic research partnership that continues to yield innovations. This model has brought the benefits of cross-sector collaboration to every corner of the university and established a prime environment for developing technologies of the future.
Far-reaching networks
The collaboration began as a three-year commitment to advance 5G research in the Toronto-Waterloo tech corridor and bring 5G infrastructure to Waterloo’s campus. The agreement has since been extended into extended into 2027. With 5G integrated into campus life, Waterloo acts as a live test bed for advanced research into network design and operation, as well as the infrastructure needed to develop and test nascent 5G-enabled technologies. The collaboration has already supported the launch of Canada’s first autonomous 5G shuttle and a smart city infrastructure monitoring and alerting system. More industry-driven research collaborations are planned to explore how 5G can help address emerging challenges.
The partnership was designed to take a multifaceted approach to innovation engagement across the campus. Research opportunities range from specific use-case scenarios from Rogers to more open calls for faculty-driven projects. The partnership also paved the way for student scholarships of up to $10,000, hackathons incentivizing student teams to develop creative solutions, and opportunities for students to learn more about employment in industry. Additionally, campus visits from executive leadership help build connections between university faculty and Rogers staff while enabling both parties to learn about the other’s goals and perspectives.
Overcoming obstacles
Bringing collaboration to every corner of an institution isn’t without its challenges. A strong governance structure was essential to making it happen. Creating smooth processes, ensuring stakeholder alignment, onboarding new individuals, and other operational elements are critical. Implementing new systems across campus necessitates alignment between various departments and strong leadership from both partners. It takes time and dedicated effort to create and maintain the structure necessary for shared visions to deliver positive results.
Regular, honest communication is key to aligning and managing expectations. With a partnership of this scale and depth, everyone must maintain awareness of opportunities and initiatives. Establishing a partnership of this size can take years, and even longer before results and impact are returned. It’s vital to consider realistic timelines and bake them into the planning process, especially with a collaboration this broad and far-reaching. Ultimately, mutual dedication and investment from both Waterloo and Rogers helped to overcome the challenges presented during the early stages.
Why it matters
While it’s common for university-industry partnerships to emphasize a single area of collaboration—talent, facilities, or research projects—the University of Waterloo’s campus-wide partnership with Rogers Communications illustrates that the benefits of strategic partnership can extend the benefits for both parties and contribute to technology development with broad applications.
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