TELUS announced today the investment of $17.5 billion in network
infrastructure, operations, and spectrum across British Columbia
over the next four years and has committed to investing $70 billion
overall across Canada by 2026.
“This generational $17.5 billion investment in British Columbia
is a true demonstration of TELUS’ long-standing commitment to
improving the lives of Canadians by connecting communities from
coast-to-coast with our world-leading wireless 5G and PureFibre
networks,” said Darren Entwistle, President and CEO of TELUS. “Our
broadband technology is supporting critical, transformational
change in respect of enabling online healthcare, education and
teleworking flexibility, and accelerating Canada’s digital economy
and society for heightened productivity, competitiveness and human
welfare outcomes in the post-pandemic period. Importantly, through
our investment, we are supporting the social and economic vibrancy
of British Columbia and ensuring that every member of our society
has access to the technology that yields the opportunity to realize
their full potential.”These significant investments include:
- Generating new jobs to support B.C.’s growing
economy Generating jobs for 5,500 British Columbians at
TELUS and through its vast partner ecosystem now through 2026, with
a focus on construction, engineering, emerging technologies and
other supporting industries.
- Rebuilding the Lytton and Merritt areasTELUS
is helping to rebuild Merritt following last year's significant
flooding across the region, as well as Lytton and the Lytton First
Nation following 2021’s devastating wildfire. TELUS will connect
homes and businesses in both communities to its PureFibre network,
bringing residents B.C.’s fastest Internet speeds in Nooaitch 10
and Pauls Basin 2 First Nation Reserves, and helping the community
of Lytton achieve its goal of becoming net-zero. A PureFibre
connection is more sustainable and resilient compared to copper
networks because it uses less power and produces fewer greenhouse
gas emissions. In both communities, this means their new
communications infrastructure will be more robust and stronger in
the face of extreme weather events such as wildfires and floods,
making the communities safer during an emergency.
- As part of TELUS’ commitment to economic recovery in the Lytton
area, we will seek to hire and train local workers and will rent
construction equipment from local vendors, supporting the
community’s economic recovery.
- Connecting over 1.6 million homes in B.C. In
addition to bringing its PureFibre network to Lytton and Merritt,
TELUS will connect hundreds of thousands more homes and businesses
across B.C. including Coquitlam, kʷikʷəƛ̓əm (Kwikwetlem First
Nation), Maple Ridge, New Westminster, Parksville, Prince George,
Saanich, Squamish, and Sydney. PureFibre is B.C.'s only 100 per
cent pure fibre-to-the-home network and currently reaches more than
1.6 million homes and businesses across the province. The
symmetrical upload and download Internet speeds and nearly infinite
bandwidth enabled only by PureFibre means everyone can work,
stream, game, or make video calls at the same time.
- Delivering 5G to Remote CommunitiesWith the
rollout of the 3.5 GHz spectrum later this year, Canadians in B.C.
will have access to TELUS’ 5G network delivering an ultrafast and
reliable wireless connection. British Columbians living in some
rural and remote communities are also some of the first in the
country to access home Internet speeds of 100 Mbps through TELUS’
5G fixed wireless network, using the capabilities of 5G to provide
a powerful alternative to a wired Internet connection.
- TELUS’ global-leading wireless network was rated the fastest
mobile network for the eighth consecutive time by UK-based
Opensignal, while also earning the title of North America’s Fastest
Mobile Network and being named Canada’s Fastest Mobile Network by
Seattle-based Ookla® for the ninth consecutive time.
- 5G Core and Multi-Access Edge ComputingTELUS
will introduce its 5G standalone network this year and bring
multi-access edge computing (MEC) capabilities that will further
advance IoT and industry solutions that will enable important
innovations for businesses and sectors, including health,
agriculture, energy, transportation, and manufacturing.
- Our network and crucial investments will support the
digitization of the economy, and our transition to a sustainable
future, including through optimisation of energy
consumption at home, reduction of food waste or intelligent
transport systems that result in fewer emissions.
- Creating a greener B.C. and planet through
virtualizationAs a global leader in sustainability, TELUS’
network infrastructure and investments are helping us transition to
a sustainable future through the digitization of the economy,
including optimizing energy consumption at home and reducing food
waste through its TELUS Agriculture solutions.
- The 2021 Sustainability Report outlines TELUS’ environmental,
social, and governance strategy and priorities which includes the
ambitious goal to use 100 per cent renewable energy by 2025.
Moreover, TELUS’ world-leading wireless and wireline networks
enable significant carbon avoidance by providing the networks
required for TELUS team members and millions of British Columbians
to work remotely and avoid commuting; access education, healthcare,
and social connections virtually; and enable other businesses to
take their workforce virtual leading to less energy consumption in
office buildings and fewer commuters on the road.
- To date, TELUS has planted more than 800,000 trees and by the
time its millionth tree is planted later this year, it will have
planted the equivalent of 20,000 acres of forest, which is twenty
times the size of Stanley Park in Vancouver.
Since 2000 through 2021, TELUS has invested $220 billion
nationally in network infrastructure, operations and spectrum,
including more than $57 billion in network infrastructure,
operations and spectrum in B.C. The investments announced in this
media release are consistent with TELUS’ capital expenditure
guidance for 2022, released in the fourth quarter of 2021 earnings
release dated February 10, 2022.
These investments are critical to provide Canadians with access
to superior technology that connects us to the people, resources
and information that make our lives better. TELUS is steadfast in
its commitment to using technology, team member-led innovation, and
human compassion to address the most important societal challenges
of our generation and bringing real solutions to the residents of
B.C.
TELUS also embraces tax morality as a means of further investing
in our communities. Since 2000, TELUS has paid approximately $51
billion in total tax and spectrum remittances to our federal,
provincial and municipal governments across Canada, including more
than $2.2 billion in taxes in 2021 alone. These funds support
public works projects, education, healthcare, cultural pursuits and
other initiatives that improve the social and economic well-being
of our communities.
TELUS’ innovative approach to leveraging technology in
healthcare has supported 22 million Canadians to receive care where
and when they need it with virtual visits since March 2020 through
the MyCare by TELUS Health App, giving Canadians the tools they
need to see a doctor or therapist from the safety and comfort of
home, directly from their smartphone.
Since 2000, TELUS, our team members and retirees provided over
$250 million in cash, in-kind contributions, time and programs and
volunteered 7 million hours to charities and community
organizations located in British Columbia, including giving more
than $40 million in cash and in-kind contributions in 2021 alone.
Earlier this year, TELUS announced the expansion of the TELUS
Vancouver and Coastal Community Board and the TELUS Interior and
Northern BC Community Board, to support even more communities
across the province. Since 2005, B.C. Community Boards have given
$13 million in cash donations to local charities. TELUS also
launched the TELUS Indigenous Communities Fund, offering grants up
to $50,000 for Indigenous-led social, health and community
programs.
Quotes:
“This is excellent news for the province of British Columbia.
Ensuring that all Canadians have access to reliable, high-speed
Internet has become increasingly important, and this investment
from TELUS will help create jobs, connect British Columbians, and
contribute towards building an environmentally sustainable Canada.
Through initiatives like the Universal Broadband Fund, the
Government of Canada is proud to partner with its provincial
counterparts and Internet Service Providers like TELUS to ensure
that every Canadian from coast to coast to coast can be connected
to high speed Internet.”
– The Honourable Gudie Hutchings, Minister of Rural
Economic Development
“kʷikʷəƛ̓əm First Nation will greatly benefit from the addition
of the TELUS PureFibre Network which will help us become a strong,
self-governing Nation and empower our members, families and
community through engaged and shared planning and decision-making.
This addition to our infrastructure will also allow us to better
communicate with our members who live here in our ancient village
of slakəyánc (Coquitlam I.R. 1) as well as with our members who
live in other parts of Canada and the United States. As well, the
upgrade will allow us to utilize new TELUS tools and technology,
such as their online digital literacy courses and Vidflex by
Worldplay, and provide new ways for the Nation to share our
language and cultural activities and be better connected to each
other, no matter where we live.”
– John Peters, Councillor kʷikʷəƛ̓əm First
Nation
"We would like to have wholesome service moving forward. Since
the fire, we have limited communication, as the fire crippled our
infrastructure to our land lines. We work in partnership with TELUS
to better serve our community members."– Chief Janet
Webster, Lytton First Nation
Forward-Looking StatementsThis news release
contains statements about future events and plans that are
forward-looking, including relating to TELUS’ infrastructure,
operations and spectrum investment plans. By their nature,
forward-looking statements require TELUS to make assumptions and
predictions and are subject to inherent risks and uncertainties.
There is significant risk that the forward-looking statements will
not prove to be accurate. Readers are cautioned not to place undue
reliance on forward-looking statements as a number of factors (such
as regulatory decisions and developments, the competitive
environment in which we operate, our operating and financial
results and our ability to carry out financing activities) could
cause actual capital and operating expenditures to differ
materially from those expressed in the forward-looking
statements.
Accordingly, this news release and the forward-looking
statements made in it are subject to the cautionary note and
qualified by the assumptions, qualifications and risk factors
referred to in TELUS’ 2021 and first quarter 2022 Management’s
discussion and analysis, which are incorporated by reference
herein, and in other TELUS public disclosure documents and filings
with securities commissions in Canada (on SEDAR at sedar.com) and
in the United States (on EDGAR at sec.gov). Forward-looking
statements describe TELUS’ expectations and are based on our
assumptions as at the date of this press release and are subject to
change. Except as required by law, TELUS disclaims any intention or
obligation to update or revise forward-looking statements.
About TELUSTELUS (TSX: T, NYSE: TU) is a
dynamic, world-leading communications technology company with $17
billion in annual revenue and 17 million customer connections
spanning wireless, data, IP, voice, television, entertainment,
video, and security. Our social purpose is to leverage our
global-leading technology and compassion to drive social change and
enable remarkable human outcomes. Our longstanding commitment to
putting our customers first fuels every aspect of our business,
making us a distinct leader in customer service excellence and
loyalty. The numerous, sustained accolades TELUS has earned over
the years from independent, industry-leading network insight firms
showcase the strength and speed of TELUS’ global-leading networks,
reinforcing our commitment to provide Canadians with access to
superior technology that connects us to the people, resources and
information that make our lives better.
TELUS Health is Canada’s leader in digital health technology,
improving access to health and wellness services and
revolutionizing the flow of health information across the continuum
of care. TELUS Agriculture provides innovative digital solutions
throughout the agriculture value chain, supporting better food
outcomes from improved agri-business data insights and processes.
TELUS International (TSX and NYSE: TIXT) is a leading digital
customer experience innovator that designs, builds, and delivers
next-generation solutions, including AI and content moderation, for
global and disruptive brands across high-growth industry verticals,
including tech and games, communications and media and ecommerce
and FinTech. TELUS and TELUS International operate in 28 countries
around the world.
Driven by our determination and vision to connect all citizens
for good, our deeply meaningful and enduring philosophy to give
where we live has inspired TELUS, our team members and retirees to
contribute more than $900 million and 1.8 million days of service
since 2000. This unprecedented generosity and unparalleled
volunteerism have made TELUS the most giving company in the world.
Together, let’s make the future friendly.
For more information about TELUS, please visit telus.com, follow
us @TELUSNews on Twitter and @Darren_Entwistle on Instagram.
For media inquiries, please contact:
Liz SauvéTELUS Public Relations liz.sauve@telus.com
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