TELUS will invest $5.5 million in Campbell River in 2012 to expand its 4G wireless network and introduce Optik TV to even more homes.
“TELUS’ $5.5 million will enhance our world-class wireless network and improve Internet speeds for businesses and households right here in Campbell River,” said Ray Lawson, general manager of Customer Solutions Delivery for the community. “TELUS is committed to making investments in infrastructure and technology to better serve our customers and communities.
“We are deeply grateful for the hard work and outstanding commitment of our 490 local team members and retirees and for the support of our customers.”
This significant investment is part of $3 billion in infrastructure upgrades being made across British Columbia through 2014 and builds upon the $26 billion TELUS has already invested in operations and technology throughout the province over the last 10 years.
TELUS’ commitment also extends to supporting local charities and community organisations.
“As important as our infrastructure investments are to our success, our commitment to local community organisations is near and dear to our hearts. TELUS believes deeply in the symbiotic relationship between the success of business and the welfare of our communities,” said Lawson. “We embrace a simple philosophy – we give where we live – and we take great pride in the social outcomes we are helping to realize. Since 2000, our TELUS family of 25,000 employees and retirees in B.C. has donated over $100 million dollars and, more importantly, volunteered 2.4 million hours, with our hearts and our hands, to community and charitable organisations. Additionally, the TELUS team will contribute a further $10 million dollars to local, grassroots community projects in 2012.”
TELUS’ $5.5 million investment over the next three years will:
- Enhance its 4G wireless network in Campbell River.
- Extend Optik TV to more Campbell River homes this year. By the end of 2012 TELUS will expand the reach of its Optik TV service to reach 1.3 million B.C. households. At the end of 2011 TELUS had 509,000 TV customers, adding 56,000 in the final three months of the year. Optik TV provides never before seen functionality and features as well as more than 500 channels, including more than 100 in High Definition (HD). Optik TV is an IPTV based service and features applications like Facebook and remote record, an application that allows subscribers to manage their PVR recordings from any Internet connection or select smartphones. One PVR is all you need to enable every digital box in your home with the ability to pause, rewind and replay live TV, schedule recordings, access existing recordings, and pause a show in one room and pick it up in another room from the same spot.
- Bring advanced wireless and wireline broadband to nearby rural communities. TELUS has already started this work on Vancouver Island – where the company is investing an average of $650,000 per community to bring broadband service to local residents in Marble Bay, Ditdaht and Squirrel Cove this year.
- Support unique community fundraising projects in Campbell River like the TV for Good campaign whereby TELUS is donating $100 on behalf of every new Optik TV customer to the Campbell River Rotary Waterpark.
The capital investment disclosed in this release is consistent with TELUS’ overall capital expenditure guidance for 2012.
