Telus announced Wednesday it will invest more than $10 billion to expand and improve its network infrastructure and operations across Quebec over the next five years.
This follows similar Telus announcements on Monday about its planned investments in British Columbia and Alberta through 2028.
As part of its investment in Quebec, Telus said in a press release it is collaborating with the government of Quebec and the CRTC through two separate grant programs to expand its 5G network to isolated and rural communities and road sections in the regions of Eastern Quebec and Chaudière-Appalaches. This project is receiving funding from the CRTC Broadband Fund as well as money from the Quebec government’s recently announced $170-million initiative to improve cellular network coverage in several regions of Quebec. Telus said it is actively working on deploying nearly 80 new cell sites in Eastern Quebec and Chaudière-Appalaches.
Similar to its B.C. and Alberta announcements, Telus said part of its investment in Quebec is going toward enhancing its 5G network with open radio access network (ORAN) technology.
The Vancouver-based telecom also said it is using artificial intelligence and advanced analytics to plan new infrastructure builds that will optimize coverage and network performance.
In the area of technology research, Telus said it is continuing its partnership with Zú, a Montreal incubator established by Cirque du Soleil founder Guy Laliberté, which helps entrepreneurs who use technology to develop products that transform creative industries. Telus is also participating in Canada’s first quantum communication test bed with technology think tank Numana “to fuel Quebec’s technological dynamism”, Telus’s press release says.
Telus said it has invested more than $35 billion in Quebec since 2000 to build and develop network infrastructure, operations and spectrum, connecting households and businesses to its 5G and Telus PureFibre networks.
From 2000 through 2023, Telus has invested $259 billion nationally in infrastructure, operations and spectrum, and these most recently announced investments are part of a larger commitment to invest $73 billion across Canada by 2028, it said.
