VANCOUVER – Telus is encouraging the federal government to invest $1 billion of the $4.25 billion raised in the wireless spectrum auction to pursue its goal of making Canada the most connected country in the world. The auction says Telus has provided an unprecedented opportunity to bring broadband Internet services to thousands of rural communities.
"This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to make Canada the most connected nation in the world and advance the government’s own agenda of making ours an even more competitive economy," said Janet Yale, Telus executive vice-president of corporate affairs. "More than $4 billion has been raised in the auction and it only makes sense that Canadians and consumers should see a corresponding expansion to the broadband infrastructure and services they already enjoy. Indeed, there is an obligation to re-invest a portion of the windfall revenues to build upon the billions of dollars Canadian telecom carriers have invested to allow more Canadians in rural, remote and First Nations communities to access high speed Internet services."
As recently as 2006, the Telecommunications Policy Review Panel recommended undertaking this effort as a great national project. Telus recommends $1 billion of the windfall auction proceeds be used to create a new fund to help finance the construction of broadband Internet infrastructure into remote and First Nations communities that would otherwise be uneconomical to construct.
"An investment of $1 billion in such a national project will be an investment in Canada’s future, fostering innovation by businesses operating in rural areas while enhancing the lifestyles enjoyed by Canadians who are able to connect to the information economy for the first time," says Yale. "When you consider Canada’s challenging geography and sparse population, the fact most Canadians already have access to broadband Internet is a home-grown success story. Let’s work together to write the next chapter.”
