TELUS investing $16 million to accelerate deployment of its PureFibre and 5G networks in Mitis and Lower St. Lawrence

Families and businesses will have direct access to PureFibre, the fastest and most reliable Internet technology in the world

5G mobile service will be deployed in six additional communities in the region

RIMOUSKI, Quebec, May 18, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- TELUS is investing $16 million in the Lower St. Lawrence region this year to deploy its PureFibre and 5G networks. Thanks to an additional contribution of $1 million from the governments of Quebec and Canada, TELUS completed the deployment of its high-speed services in the Mitis RCM (regional county municipality), and 1,800 additional families and businesses can now enjoy lightning-fast symmetrical download speeds with direct access to fibre, the world’s fastest and most reliable Internet technology. With private investments, TELUS is continuing the deployment of its 5G technology in six new Lower St. Lawrence communities, which will bridge the digital divide; drive innovation in businesses and grass-roots charities; and support the health, agriculture, and education sectors.

“Our 1,400 team members in the Lower St. Lawrence region are committed to actively continuing the deployment of our networks across Quebec, and to driving the economic recovery of our regions. We are making the future friendly by putting our technology at the service of our communities,” says Marie-Christine D’Amours, Vice-President of TELUS, Consumer Solutions and Customer Experience for Quebec. “To date, 93 per cent of businesses and families in the area we serve have access to our PureFibre network, and we are pursuing our joint investment with the goal of connecting all premises to high speed Internet by September 2022. We’re also especially proud to deploy our 5G technology in both large urban centres and remote communities, so that Quebec residents can enjoy the full potential of this technological revolution no matter where they live. As 5G technology evolves, it will make our cities smarter and greener, transform agriculture, improve health care, and accelerate the potential of smart homes and autonomous vehicles.”

“The COVID-19 pandemic has shown that it’s now more important than ever to connect Quebec residents to high-speed Internet,” says Diane Lebouthillier, Minister of National Revenue and MP for Gaspésie—Les Îles-de-la-Madeleine. “That's why our government is investing to connect homes in the Lower St. Lawrence region by September 2022. With this historic announcement, and thanks to our positive collaboration with the government of Quebec, we are increasing the potential for economic growth and contributing to quality-of-life improvements for the people who live here in the La Mitis RCM”

“This is excellent news for the La Mitis RCM,” says Caroline Proulx, Minister of Tourism and minister responsible for the Lanaudière and Lower St. Lawrence regions. “The investments that have been announced are unprecedented, and they indicate how high of a priority it is for the government of Quebec to deploy high-speed Internet services in the province’s remote regions. This has clearly become an essential service, not only to ensure economic development in the regions, but also to support the vitality of our communities. As the pandemic continues, the needs in these areas have become more urgent than ever, and I’m proud of the progress our government has made.”

“With the work that TELUS has recently completed, we’re very proud to say that La Mitis is now 100 per cent connected,” announced Bruno Paradis, Prefect of La Mitis. “Our region had already felt privileged over the past few years with our above-average rates of high-speed access, but knowing that everyone in our RCM can now have access to optical fibre at home and in their businesses is a very positive development. Connectivity here was already just as good as in Quebec's major urban centres, and this announcement ensures that in terms of working from home and the needs of local businesses, and also in terms of attracting families and professionals to our beautiful region, La Mitis is now positioned to be one of Quebec’s most innovative RCMs. La Mitis is really hitting its stride, and now it’s 100 per cent connected with optical fibre. The future looks bright.”

Highlights

• Deploying the TELUS PureFibre network in the Mitis RCM to reach 1,800 additional families and businesses in Grand-Métis, Sainte-Flavie and Sainte-Luce. These communities will have access to the superior bundle of TELUS residential products and services, which includes a vast selection of connected devices for healthcare and for the home, and advanced security and entertainment technologies. In 2022, with the collaboration of the governments, TELUS will continue deploying fibre-to-the-home to residences and businesses in Saint-Mathieu-de-Rioux and Saint-Narcisse-de-Rimouski.
  
  
  
  
• Expanding the TELUS 5G network, utilizing our current spectrum holdings, to six additional Lower St. Lawrence communities in 2021, including in the Mitis and Matapédia RCMs, in addition to the municipalities of Rimouski and Matane. TELUS’ 5G technology provides access to lightning-fast download speeds of up to 1.7 Gbps and will be expanded to 157 additional Quebec communities by year-end. TELUS has also submitted projects to the CRTC and its Broadband Fund program to improve wireless coverage in Lac-des-Aigles and along two large stretches of road: Route 132 between Sainte-Florence and Matapédia, and Route 195 between Matane and Amqui.
  
  
  
  
• Supporting local organizations and vulnerable families in Lower St. Lawrence. Since 2000, TELUS, its active and retired team members, and the TELUS Friendly Future Foundation have volunteered over 550,000 hours of their time and contributed over $9 million to local organizations, including the Fondation du Centre hospitalier régional de Rimouski, the Association du cancer de l’Est du Québec, the Fondation de l’UQAR, Maison La Débrouille, and Amis des Jardins de Métis.
  
  

TELUS plans to invest $54 billion in Canada by 2024, including $9 billion in Quebec’s economy, notably in infrastructure and operations to improve the coverage, speed and reliability of its world-class networks. As part of the Canada-Quebec Operation High Speed program, the provincial and federal governments have granted TELUS $26 million to help deploy high-speed Internet to nearly 5,000 households. TELUS is making an additional investment to connect 25,000 additional families and businesses to the PureFibre network by fall 2022 in eastern Quebec, the Capitale-Nationale, Chaudière-Appalaches, Mauricie, and Estrie regions.

The investments announced in this media release are consistent with TELUS’ capital expenditure guidance for 2021, as updated in TELUS’ first quarter 2021 earnings’ release dated May 7, 2021, and our planned future capital expenditure plans, including our accelerated broadband build, as outlined in our March 2021 equity offering news release dated March 25, 2021.

About TELUS

TELUS (TSX: T, NYSE: TU) is a dynamic, world-leading communications technology company with $16 billion in annual revenue and 16 million customer connections spanning wireless, data, IP, voice, television, entertainment, video and security. We leverage our global-leading technology and compassion to enable remarkable human outcomes. Our long-standing commitment to putting customers first fuels every aspect of our business, making us a distinct leader in customer service excellence and loyalty. In 2020, TELUS was recognized as having the fastest wireless network in the world, reinforcing our commitment to provide Canadians with access to superior technology that connects us to the people, resources and information that make our lives better. TELUS Health is Canada’s leader in digital health technology, improving access to health and wellness services and revolutionizing the flow of health information across the continuum of care. TELUS Agriculture provides innovative digital solutions throughout the agriculture value chain, supporting better food outcomes from improved agri-business data insights and processes. TELUS International (TSX and NYSE: TIXT) is a leading digital customer experience innovator that delivers next-generation AI and content management solutions for global brands across the sectors of technology, gaming, ecommerce/FinTech, communications/media, health care and travel/hospitality. TELUS and TELUS International operate in 25+ countries around the world. Together, let’s make the future friendly.

Driven by our passionate social purpose to connect all citizens for good, our deeply meaningful and enduring philosophy to give where we live has inspired TELUS, our team members and our retirees to contribute more than $820 million and 1.6 million days of service since 2000. This unprecedented generosity and unparalleled volunteerism have made TELUS the most giving company in the world.

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For more information, please contact:

Jacinthe Beaulieu

TELUS Media Relations

418-318-6102