MARCH 8, 2019

TELUS investing $75 million to connect Nanaimo and Lantzville homes and businesses directly to advanced fibre optic network

Direct fibre connection will dramatically boost data capacity, providing local homes and businesses access to the gigabit-enabled TELUS PureFibre network

Nanaimo, B.C. – TELUS is investing $75 million to connect more than 90 per cent of homes and businesses in Nanaimo and Lantzville, including the Snuneymuxw and Snaw-Naw-As Nations, directly to its fibre optic network. Construction work will begin later this spring, and TELUS anticipates the majority of homes and businesses will be connected by the spring of 2021. Since 2013, TELUS has invested more than $200 million to connect Vancouver Island communities including Victoria, Oak Bay, North and Central Saanich, Sooke, Chemainus, Port Hardy, Port McNeil, Tofino and Ucluelet to the PureFibre network.

“This investment to bring TELUS PureFibre to Nanaimo and Lantzville will future-proof the communities for generations to come,” said Tony Geheran, TELUS Executive Vice-President and Chief Customer Officer. “Only TELUS PureFibre brings the fibre network connection right to the doorstep of your home or business, offering equally fast upload and download speeds and a connection that won’t slow down even during busy times when all of your neighbours are also online. Fast upload speeds are critical for applications like gaming, smart home security, uploading large files or photos, video conferencing and digital healthcare services. As the cost of living in major centres increases, families, professionals, and retirees are increasingly looking to live in beautiful communities like Nanaimo and Lantzville. This new connectivity will undoubtedly help attract new residents and businesses, in turn boosting the local economy by encouraging investment and helping local businesses thrive, whether they’re established operations or new home-based start-ups.”

The gigabit-enabled TELUS PureFibre network is among the most advanced communications infrastructure available in the world today, enabling residents to immediately take advantage of dramatically fast Internet speeds on plans like 750/750 Mbps or Gigabit Internet at 940/940 Mbps. Gigabit Internet customers can download a full HD movie or upload 100 high-resolution photos in just a few seconds. The TELUS PureFibre network offers equally fast upload and download speeds, which provides significant benefits for applications like video conferencing, gaming, and home security. Supported by the TELUS PureFibre network, TELUS Smart Home Security offers 24/7 real-time monitoring and smart controls to manage cameras, lock and unlock doors, indoor and outdoor lighting, and even the thermostat. This new fibre optic infrastructure will also be the backbone of TELUS’ wireless network, enabling more wireless capacity and faster speeds throughout the region, and lays the groundwork for 5G technologies in the years ahead.

“The City-wide fibre network will further establish Nanaimo as a leader in Internet connectivity with new economic opportunities. This $75 million investment will benefit contractors in our community as they construct this network,” said City of Nanaimo Mayor, Leonard Krog. “The City is looking forward to working with TELUS to leverage the benefits of this long-lasting, state-of-the-art infrastructure for both residents and businesses alike.”

A direct connection to the TELUS PureFibre network comes at no cost to taxpayers or residents. Residents can expect to see TELUS trucks throughout the community as construction begins, and TELUS representatives out knocking on their door to receive permission to connect their home to the network. Once homes are connected, residents can immediately begin taking advantage of dramatically faster and symmetrical Internet speeds.

“Lantzville residents and businesses will now be able to enjoy the significant benefits of a direct fibre connection,” said Lantzville Mayor, Mark Swain. “Exceptional connectivity, speed, and capacity in accessing broadband services will support the Lantzville community in an increasingly connected world. It will help attract businesses that fit local values and meet local needs – an objective in our Economic Development Strategy.”

TELUS is bringing this critical network infrastructure to more communities in 2019, and as customer demand and connected devices and platforms evolve in the coming years, the TELUS PureFibre network will continuously offer faster speeds and more capacity. In the immediate term, local healthcare providers, educators and technology companies will be able to draw upon the technology to reimagine how they deliver existing services and develop entirely new solutions.

This investment is part of TELUS’ commitment to invest $4.7 billion throughout British Columbia between 2017 and 2020, at no cost to taxpayers. For more information, please visit telus.com/purefibre.

About TELUS

TELUS (TSX: T, NYSE: TU) is one of Canada’s largest telecommunications companies, with $14.4 billion of annual revenue and 13.4 million subscriber connections, including 9.2 million wireless subscribers, 1.9 million high-speed Internet subscribers, 1.2 million residential network access lines and 1.1 million TELUS TV customers. TELUS provides a wide range of communications products and services, including wireless, data, Internet protocol (IP), voice, television, entertainment, video and home and business security. TELUS is also Canada's largest healthcare IT provider, and TELUS International delivers business process solutions around the globe.

In support of our philosophy to give where we live, TELUS, our team members and retirees have contributed over $650 million to charitable and not-for-profit organizations and volunteered more than 1.21 million days of service to local communities since 2000. Created in 2005 by President and CEO Darren Entwistle, TELUS’ 13 Canadian community boards and five International boards have led the Company’s support of grassroots charities and have contributed $72 million in support of 7,000 local charitable projects, enriching the lives of more than 2 million children and youth, annually. TELUS was honoured to be named the most outstanding philanthropic corporation globally for 2010 by the Association of Fundraising Professionals, becoming the first Canadian company to receive this prestigious international recognition.For more information about TELUS, please visit telus.com.

For media inquiries, please contact:

Liz Sauvé
TELUS Social and Media Relations
[email protected]