CENGN and Ericsson put Living Lab on display

OTTAWA–The Centre for Excellence in Next Generation Networks (CENGN) and Ericsson AB celebrated their partnership with a presentation at one of their Living Labs and a tour of the facility Thursday. The research organization and the equipment manufacturer outlined their strategies to guests and provided testimonials from companies which use the resources of the Living Labs. There are eight such facilities across Canada. One speaker was Ishaan Singla, CEO of Toronto’s WeTraq Inc., a company that manufactures a discreet shoe insert that alerts caregivers when a client, usually elderly, is about to take a tumble. The device is currently being tested in hospitals and care homes. Ishaan Singla, CEO of Toronto’s WeTraq Inc., speaking at the event on June 25, 2026. Photograph provided by CENGN “There are a lot of solutions out there that focus on detection but we want to move beyond that,” Singla told The Wire Report. “We want to prevent incidents. That’s where the real value is.” He said the purpose of the device is to anticipate accidents before they occur. The firm is small, with only five employees so far. It needs the help of larger partners to succeed. “CENGN and Ericsson are providing the critical support system for any startup in our space,” Singla testified. Solana Networks Inc. is a software vendor making products for IP-based networks. It too is enthusiastic about the help from the larger organizations. “We have a new solution that’s coming to market,” VP product management Nisan Rowhani states. “It needs a lot of high speed testing, things that a small business cannot do on its own.” Kanata Ont.-based Solana has about 20 employees. A year ago, it was named one of Canada's top 100 artificial intelligence (AI) companies. After an hour-long presentation by CENGN, Ericsson and partners, a tour was arranged for the crowd of the 5G Living Lab. A particular favourite for the guests was a humanoid robot which CENGN is testing with Growcer farming solutions. The robot is able to pick lettuce at faster paces than human workers and handles more produce. The Living Lab features a huge data centre which provides the lifeblood of the group’s services to its clients. The 5G lab is one of two such facilities in Ottawa. Other labs are located across Ontario, British Columbia, and Quebec. ppark@thewirereport.ca

CENGN and Ericsson put Living Lab on display

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By Paul Park
|June 29, 2026

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CENGN and Ericsson put Living Lab on display

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By Paul Park
|June 29, 2026