月份: 2020 年 3 月

You can expect 20 more markets to get 5G this year, Rogers said. At the same time, it’l start using low-band 600MHz access that should both widen coverage and help you stay connected to 5G indoors. It’ll eventually start using 3.5GHz service as well as spectrum sharing that lets it use LTE airwaves for 5G.

There is a gotcha, however: 5G will eventually carry a premium. Rogers is only offering 5G at no extra charge until March 6th, 2021. You’ll have to pay a $15 surcharge after that. While this practice isn’t completely unheard of (Verizon has talked about charging a premium, but waived it for early adopters), it’s not likely to please Canadians who are already complaining about paying high prices for cell service compared to other countries.

The decision to charge a premium might even lead to a political confrontation. Canada’s Innovation, Science and Industry Minister Navdeep Bains recently warned that the country’s big three carriers (Rogers, Bell and Telus) will have to cut the prices of mid-range plans by 25 percent as part of a larger bid to reduce phone costs. While that won’t affect Rogers’ 5G (at least not at first), it’s not likely to please politicians and regulators trying to make wireless data more affordable.

NASA is enlisting whatever help it can get to make sure its crewed Moon and Mars missions go smoothly, and that might include help from schools. The agency is running a new round of its Moon to Mars Exploration Systems and Habitation Academic Innovation Challenge (M2M X-Hab if you want a much shorter name) that encourages university students to study and develop spacefaring tech. The challenge will reward work on habitation, vehicles, robotic advance missions, “foundational systems” (think autonomous mission tech and remote manufacturing) and human spaceflight architecture focused on the lunar Gateway

The awards will be relatively modest at $15,000 to $50,000, but NASA stressed that this doesn’t necessarily involve tangible products. It can also involve research that fills “knowledge gaps” or reduces risks, for instance. Proposals are due by April 24th.

The competition may not lead to a major breakthrough in NASA’s Moon and Mars expeditions. However, competitions like this have developed inflatable airlock modules and other concepts that could play important roles. M2M X-Hab could let NASA focus on the broader problems involved with traveling to and surviving in places beyond Earth.