VANCOUVER — Telus Communications announced today investments in British Columbia and Alberta totalling more than $34 billion and generating approximately 14,000 new jobs across the two provinces from 2022 to 2026.
Telus says in a press release it is investing $17.5 billion in network infrastructure, operations and spectrum across B.C. over the next four years, which will generate jobs for 5,500 British Columbians at Telus and through its partner ecosystem now through 2026.
In a second press release, Telus says it will invest $17 billion in Alberta over the next four years, generating 8,500 new jobs for Albertans over that time period.
The company also says it has committed to investing $70 billion overall across Canada by 2026.
As part of its investment in B.C., “Telus 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,” reads the first press release.
“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.”
As part of its commitment to help the economic recovery in the Lytton area, Telus says it “will seek to hire and train local workers and will rent construction equipment from local vendors, supporting the community’s economic recovery,” the release says.
In addition to bringing its PureFibre network to Merritt and Lytton, 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,” the release adds.
Furthermore, Telus will connect “hundreds of thousands more homes and businesses across Alberta including in Airdrie, Calgary, Edmonton, Leduc, Lloydminster, Spruce Grove and St. Albert” to its PureFibre network, the company’s Alberta-related press release says.
Other aspects of Telus’ B.C. and Alberta investments include bringing 5G fixed wireless to remote communities in the provinces, introducing its 5G standalone network this year and delivering multi-access edge computing (MEC) capabilities.
Telus is also helping to 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,” the release says.
“With a comprehensive portfolio of grower and advisor solutions, 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.”
Today’s announcements build on the $13 billion and $14.5 billion investments through 2024 the company previously announced for B.C. and Alberta respectively, according to a Telus spokesperson.
For more information, please see the individual press releases.
