Canada’s Freedom Mobile – which recently became a subsidiary of Videotron – has switched on its first 5G network sections in Greater Vancouver, Calgary, Edmonton, the Greater Toronto Area, Hamilton, London and Windsor, and is initially making 5G services available to customers with existing monthly mobile plans costing CAD45 (USD34.1) and upwards.

Freedom is contacting customers via SMS and email to inform them of the 5G upgrade, as well as an enhancement to data plans: ‘all customers with monthly recurring data on their line will have their data bucket upgraded to include Freedom & Nationwide data that can be used across Canada, at no additional cost.’ Those using Data Passes, Big Binge Bonus Data and Pay Per Use data services will not receive the ‘nationwide’ data offer.

Company representatives confirmed the latest developments to online news sites iPhone In Canada and Mobile Syrup, and indicated that more information on the network upgrades would follow in the coming days. Freedom’s takeover by Videotron was completed in April 2023 with obligations including expansion of 5G services. Videotron’s parent Quebecor had asserted back in June 2022 when the deal was originally struck that it possessed the necessary financial and spectrum resources ‘to enable an expedient path to the next evolution of 5G technology for Freedom’.