EDMONTON, AB – TELUS is investing $1 billion in Edmonton to connect more than 90 percent of homes and businesses directly to the company’s state-of-the-art fiber optic network over the next six years.
When the service is launched in Edmonton later this year, local residents and businesses will be able to take advantage of Internet speeds of up to 150 Mbps – a dramatically faster service made possible by a direct fiber optic network connection. In coming years, TELUS plans to offer families and businesses in Edmonton increasingly higher speeds over this gigabit-enabled network. Importantly, local healthcare providers, educators and technology companies will also be able to draw upon the network to completely reimagine how they deliver existing services and develop entirely new solutions.
Ubiquitous Access to Fast, Reliable Fiber Internet Services
“Our $1 billion investment in Edmonton will create Canada’s largest urban center with nearly ubiquitous access to the fastest and most reliable Internet services to dramatically improve the way Edmontonians live, work and socialize in a digital world,” said Darren Entwistle, TELUS’ executive chair. “TELUS is committed to better connecting citizens by linking homes, hospitals, clinics, doctors, pharmacists, businesses, schools, libraries and municipal governments directly to our fiber optic network, bringing advanced broadband services and unparalleled security to the entire connected community. Indeed, with less than 10 per cent of North Americans currently linked to a fiber optic network, TELUS is providing a distinct advantage to the city and its citizens who will ultimately have superior access to economic growth opportunities, critical healthcare solutions, world-class education programs and exciting social applications to enhance their fast-moving consumer lifestyles.”
Edmonton residents can expect to see the TELUS team across the city neighborhood by neighborhood, knocking on doors to discuss connecting homes and businesses directly to TELUS’ fibre optic network and installing infrastructure. There is no requirement to be a current TELUS customer to be connected to the network, nor are there any conditions to purchase services once the network construction is complete.
This significant commitment is part of TELUS’ plan to invest an additional $4.2 billion in Alberta through 2018. When combined with operational expenses, this will bring the total TELUS investment in Alberta over the next four years to more than $11 billion. By 2018, TELUS will have invested more than $45 billion in Alberta since 2000 to further extend advanced telecommunications infrastructure and services, ensuring sustained innovation and fueling economic growth.
