TELUS completes $5 million investment to bring wireless service to Highway 3 between Anarchist Mountain and Lumberton
Osoyoos, B.C. – As part of a strategic partnership with the Province, TELUS has invested $5 million to build five new wireless sites along Highway 3, bringing wireless service to approximately 105 kilometers of highway and the communities of Kitchener, Yahk, Lumberton, Bridesville and Curzon.
All sites in the series are now live, bringing new coverage to approximately:
• 16 kilometers of highway through Kitchener
• 31 kilometers of highway through Yahk and Curzon
• 25 kilometers of highway near Lumberton and Moyie
• 11 kilometers of highway near Anarchist Mountain
• 22 kilometers of highway near Bridesville
“We recognize the growing demand for wireless services while on the road, particularly in Okanagan areas that may be impacted by forest fires in the summer and snow storms in the winter, making quick access to 911 critical to saving lives and property,” said Steve Jenkins, TELUS general manager for the Southern Interior. “Bringing wireless services to these stretches of highway enhances the safety of travel for residents and visitors, while also bringing much-anticipated new coverage to area communities.”
The project is part of the 10-year Connecting British Columbia Agreement TELUS signed with the Province of B.C. in 2011. Under the terms of the agreement TELUS will invest to connect more than 1,700 kilometres of unconnected highways with wireless service.
“This expanded connectivity will improve service for visitors and residents in these communities along Highway 3,” Boundary-Similkameen MLA Linda Larson said. “Having better access to 911 service will be of great help around early reporting and response of emergency crews, especially during fire season.”
TELUS recently announced a commitment to invest $4 billion in British Columbia through 2018 to bring advanced telecommunications infrastructure to every corner of the province, enabling sustained innovation, providing access to world-class education programmes, extending critical healthcare technology to more communities, and fueling economic growth. By the end of 2018, TELUS will have invested more than $47 billion in British Columbia since 2000.
About TELUS
TELUS (TSX: T, NYSE: TU) is Canada’s fastest-growing national telecommunications company, with $12.4 billion of annual revenue and 14.0 million customer connections, including 8.4 million wireless subscribers, 3.1 million wireline network access lines, 1.5 million high-speed Internet subscribers and 980,000 TELUS TV customers. TELUS provides a wide range of communications products and services, including wireless, data, Internet protocol (IP), voice, television, entertainment and video, and is Canada’s largest healthcare IT provider.
In support of our philosophy to give where we live, TELUS, our team members and retirees have contributed more than $396 million to charitable and not-for-profit organizations and volunteered and more than 6 million hours of service to local communities since 2000. Created in 2005 by President and CEO Darren Entwistle, TELUS’ 11 Canadian community boards and 4 International boards have led the Company’s support of grassroots charities and will have contributed more than $54 million in support of over 4,800 local charitable projects by the end of 2015, enriching the lives of more than 2.1 million children and youth. 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.