Telus has announced the investment of $17.5 and $17 billion in network infrastructure, operations, and spectrum across Alberta and British Columbia (B.C.), respectively, over the next four years.
The company also noted it will be generating jobs for 8,500 Albertans and 5,500 British Columbians through 2026, with a focus on construction, engineering, emerging technologies and other supporting industries.
Telus described its plans for each province thusly:
| Alberta | British Columbia |
| Connect nearly 1 million homes in Alberta
Telus says it will connect hundreds of thousands more homes and businesses across Alberta including in Airdrie, Calgary, Edmonton, Leduc, Lloydminster, Spruce Grove, and St. Albert. Its PureFibre network is Alberta’s only 100 per cent pure fibre-to-the-home network and currently reaches nearly 1 million homes and businesses across the province. |
Connect over 1.6 million homes in B.C.
Telus says it 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. Its PureFibre network 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. |
| Support Alberta’s agriculture industry
Telus Agriculture is investing in integrated data management software, helping to scale animal health technology to deliver valuable insights and enable a more sustainable, responsive food supply chain. With a comprehensive portfolio of grower and advisor solutions, the company explains, Telus Agriculture is helping to improve both productivity and profitability for farmers in Alberta, notably with field-specific nutrient management programs aimed at increasing fertilizer efficiency and maximizing yield potential. |
Rebuild the Lytton and Merritt areas
Telus says it is helping to rebuild Merritt following last year’s significant flooding across the region, as well as assisting 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. The company explained that a PureFibre connection is more sustainable and resilient compared to copper networks because it uses less power and produces fewer greenhouse gas emissions, which will make the communities safer during an emergency. |
The company also noted it will be delivering 5G to remote communities in both B.C. and Alberta. With the rollout of the 3.5 GHz spectrum later this year, Telus says Albertans and British Columbians will have access to Telus’ 5G network delivering an ultrafast and reliable wireless connection. Canadians living in some rural and remote communities in the two provinces 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.
In addition, Telus says it will introduce its 5G standalone network this year and bring multi-access edge computing (MEC) capabilities to both the provinces that will further advance IoT and industry solutions that will enable important innovations for businesses and sectors, including health, agriculture, energy, transportation, and manufacturing. The company also noted that its network and crucial investments will support the digitization of the economy, and its transition to a sustainable future, including through optimization of energy consumption at home, reduction of food waste, or intelligent transport systems that result in fewer emissions.
“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 chief executive 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.”
“This is excellent news for the province of Alberta. 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 Albertans, and contribute towards building an environmentally sustainable Canada,” said Gudie Hutchings, Federal Minister of Rural Economic Development. “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.”
Overall, Telus has committed to investing a total of $70 billion across Canada by 2026.