Communications Technology

Ottawa is an established centre of excellence and Canada’s 5G Leader

Ottawa is a world-class hub of innovative trailblazers anchored by top optical networking firms who rely on our experienced tech talent base. Global telecommunications players know Ottawa is the place to be for world-class R&D that pushes the boundaries. Leaders like ADVA Optical Networking, Nokia, Ciena, Cisco, Fujitsu, ENCQOR 5G and Infinera all have a significant presence in our city.

Today, 90% of Canada’s industrial telecommunications research takes place in Ottawa making us a global leader in developing the future of communication networks. Here you will find North America’s only pure play optical fabrication centre and several other government labs at the forefront of telecom research, including the Communications Research Centre (CRC), the Canadian Space Agency’s David Florida Laboratory, and the Defence Research and Development Canada (DRDC).

Industry leaders Nokia and Ericsson have engineering and R&D labs in our city and these global leaders are also leveraging 5G connectivity at Area X.O, a state-of-the-art facility which offers a safe and secure environment to create, test and demonstrate future mobility, autonomy and connected technologies. Ottawa is also home to one of five sites in Quebec and Ontario taking part in ENCQOR, a public-private partnership for 5G research and innovation.

Why Ottawa is the ideal location for communications technology and network leaders:

  • Ottawa has the highest concentration of tech talent (as a percentage of a city’s total employment) in North America at 11.6 percent – ahead of San Francisco at 10.9 percent. (CBRE Tech Talent 2021)
  • 90 percent of Canada’s industrial telecommunications R&D takes place in Ottawa
  • Home to 65 federal research labs, including the Canadian Photonics Fabrication Centre
  • Home to Area X.O, the first integrated V2X test facility of its kind in North America
  • Anchored by BlackBerry QNX, Ottawa’s smart mobility cluster includes more than 100 companies
  • Ottawa receives the highest percentage of federal R&D expenditures in science and technology
  • Local start-ups like Cheetah Networks, Ranovus, and ThinkRF are spearheading 5G innovation, next-generation networks and communications that will revolutionize the future

Communications Technology Companies in Ottawa

Fact Sheet

Ottawa is at the epicentre of Canada's telecommunications industry. Home to leading experts and researchers who are shaping the global communications industry.

Examples of Ottawa's Communications Technology Expertise

These companies are taking advantage of Ottawa's world-class environment for leading-edge products, technologies and innovations.

Ciena

Ciena is the second largest supplier in the world of optical technology, which is the high-speed core of today’s internet. Since purchasing Ottawa’s former technology giant Nortel Networks’ carrier ethernet and optical networking division in 2010, the company has grown to do the majority of their global R&D in the nation’s capital and has become the region’s second-largest technology employer after Nokia.

Ericsson

Ericsson has had a strategic R&D facility in Ottawa for over 10 years and has pioneered cutting-edge products for its customers all over the world. As an example of local technology leadership, in collaboration with the City of Ottawa and Rogers Communications, Ericsson installed wireless sensors in eight rivers and streams in the National Capital Region. These sensors are automated and can monitor temperature fluctuations, water quality, and other variables and thereby detect unusual levels of toxicity in the water supply. If any potential issues with the waterways are detected, the sensors send signal alerts to the city officials. Ericsson’s Connected Water solution is not only efficient, but also brings significant cost savings for the City of Ottawa. Each sensor is estimated to cost $4000 less than other solutions on the market. It recently opened the state-of-the-art Ericsson Open Lab here in Ottawa. It allows researchers from around the world to collaborate remotely on 5G wireless technology projects.

Nokia

Nokia is spearheading next-generation communication services, revolutionizing the future of 5G and internet of things. Nokia’s presence in Ottawa is primarily focused on research and development. Product lines developed in Ottawa focus on high-performance networking that supports the delivery of advanced residential, business, and mobile services. This Finnish multinational has a history of partnerships with local post-secondary institutions in order to nurture tomorrow’s innovators and garner a pipeline of high-quality expertise. For instance, Nokia has virtualized its equipment to allow Carleton University BIT students to access the Nokia lab remotely for hands-on experience with testing, troubleshooting, and configuring networks. Their award-winning Nokia Bell Labs is a leader in the development and deployment of 5G networks.

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