FORT MCMURRAY – WOOD BUFFALO, AB – Telus announced yesterday it is collaborating with the Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo on a $21 million project to connect several communities directly to the Telus PureFibre optic network.
The Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo will contribute $13.2 million, making this “one of the single largest partnerships between Telus and a municipality to expand connectivity to benefit local residents and businesses,” according to a press release.
The project will connect residents and businesses in Draper, Janvier, Fort McKay, Conklin, Anzac and Gregoire Lake Estates directly to gigabit Internet speeds and will expand cellular coverage.
“Telus is proud to make this generational investment in Wood Buffalo, providing the technology to connect citizens to loved ones, as well as vital resources and information as we continue to navigate the global pandemic,” said Darren Entwistle, president and CEO of Telus, in a press release.
“Construction on the PureFibre network is expected to start in the Spring of 2022, and Telus anticipates more than 90% of homes and businesses will be connected by the end of 2023,” the press release reads.
This investment is part of Telus’s $14.5 billion in investment infrastructure and operations in Alberta through 2024. The company also announced today it will be investing $20 million of this funding in St. Albert this year.
Telus is further investing $13 billion in infrastructure and operations in British Columbia through 2024. Funding announced recently as part of this investment includes $12 million in Sidney, $53 million in New Westminster, $47 million in Surrey, $18 million in Central Vancouver Island, $28 million in the Sunshine Coast and $1.8 million in the North Island region.
