Telus Communications last week released its fifth annual Indigenous Reconciliation and Connectivity Report, which includes a new commitment to incorporate Indigenous perspectives into the telecom’s artificial intelligence (AI) and data ethics strategy.
The annual report includes stories about how Indigenous peoples are leveraging Telus’s connectivity and investments to improve education outcomes, revitalize languages, increase economic participation and drive long-term prosperity in their communities and beyond.
“Together, we are making tremendous progress toward a world where all Indigenous communities have the connectivity they need to support their unique, social, cultural and economic goals,” Tony Geheran, executive vice-president and chief operations officer at Telus, said in a press release.
“We at TELUS will continue to work side by side with Indigenous Peoples and hold ourselves accountable to our commitments — our greatest hope is that our journey will ripple outward and inspire other businesses, leaders and individuals to embrace the important work towards reconciliation.”
In 2021, Telus was the first Canadian technology company to launch a public Indigenous Reconciliation Action Plan, embracing its corporate responsibility to advance reconciliation and ensuring accountability for its strategic targets.
Some of the key milestones achieved in 2023 as part of Telus’s action plan include:
- 120 additional Indigenous lands connected to Telus’s advanced broadband technology between 2022 and 2023, in partnership with Indigenous governments
- $2 million committed to support Indigenous-led organizations focused on mental health and well-being, language and cultural revitalization, access to education, and community building through the Indigenous Communities Fund
- more than 700,000 students and educators engaged through the Telus-funded Digital Witness Blanket project, which explores the legacy of residential schools in Canada through Indigenous experiences, perspectives and artifacts
According to the 2023 report, 240 Indigenous communities are currently serviced by Telus, with over 21,000 premises in 105 communities connected to the company’s PureFibre network, giving more than 89,000 people living in Indigenous communities access to Telus’s advanced broadband networks.
“Bridging the digital divide plays a significant role in enabling Indigenous businesses to participate equally in new sectors of economic growth. Connectivity in Indigenous communities is a crucial step toward reconciliation, since it increases opportunities for Indigenous economic engagement,” said Tabatha Bull, president and CEO of the Canadian Council for Aboriginal Business, in the press release. “We appreciate that TELUS recognizes this and is taking steps to help address these challenges.”
Last week, Telus was honoured with an Indigenomics 10 to Watch Award, an annual award started in 2019 that recognizes businesses, partnerships and initiatives demonstrating excellence and leadership in the emerging $100-billion Indigenous economy.
Image supplied by Telus.
