TELUS Advances Network Upgrade from Copper to Fibre, Driving Incredible Sustainability Benefits for Canadians

TELUS’ commitment to upgrading its network from copper to PureFibre, synonymous with lightning-fast speeds and unparalleled reliability, continues to enable significant but lesser-known environmental benefits, contributing to Canada's ambitious net-zero targets and helping create a more sustainable future. Our early strategic investment in award-winning TELUS PureFibre has positioned us as a global leader in copper retirement and enabled the significant reduction of over 7,400 tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions since 2018 – equivalent to removing over 1,600 gas-powered cars from our roads for one year*. This is attributed to the decommissioning of thousands of copper devices and our copper retirement program, where we have recycled or repurposed more than 3,600 tonnes of copper, offsetting the need to mine new copper sources.

“Copper plays a vital role in Canada's electrification strategy, supporting the transmission and distribution network, as well as renewable technologies. By strategically repurposing copper, TELUS is directly contributing to the country's electrification goals and building a circular economy around this valuable resource. Our proactive metal recycling initiative sets the standard for an industrial-scale recycling program, further solidifying TELUS' leadership in sustainability,” said Tony Geheran, Chief Operations Officer at TELUS.

Since 2018, TELUS has been on a journey to migrate residential customers from copper to PureFibre, and we are proud to announce that we have successfully migrated over half a million to date. As of the end of 2023, TELUS has migrated 98% of eligible customers with 14 key geographies across BC and AB now completely copper free, paving the way for the numerous benefits inherent with PureFibre, including faster speeds, and increased resilience to extreme weather events, ensuring that TELUS' network remains available even during severe weather emergencies.

At up to 85% more energy-efficient than copper, TELUS PureFibre is Canada's most sustainable internet technology. This energy efficiency has reduced network repair activity and technician visits by two-thirds, resulting in fewer tailpipe emissions from our fleet.

TELUS remains committed to driving sustainable innovation and delivering superior connectivity to Canadians. The network investment from copper to fibre is a significant step towards achieving our sustainability goals while providing our customers with a more reliable and future-proof network.

* Source: United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Greenhouse Gas Equivalencies Calculator