Telus Corp. to invest in Alberta
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CALGARY — Telus Corp. (TSX:T) will invest $650 million to expand and improve its infrastructure in Alberta this year.
The Vancouver-based telecom company said Wednesday it will increase both the speed and coverage areas for its current wireless and land-based services in the province.
The move will include boosting its broadband networks to deliver faster Internet services and high-definition signals for its Telus TV services.
The company will also expand its wireless broadband network throughout the province, which is in addition to previously announced investments for its national high-speed network made last November.
Telus said the latest investment remains consistent with its overall capital spending plan for the year.
Last year, the company had a $700-million budget for capital expenditures, according to spokesman Chris Gerritsen.
“Since 2000, Telus has made more than $21 billion in operating and capital investments in Alberta,” president and CEO Darren Entwistle said in a release.
“This massive commitment to the province is enabling one of the world’s leading wireless networks and the widespread availability of high definition Telus TV.”
The announcement comes as Telus and its fellow telecom giants, Bell (TSX:BCE) and Rogers (TSX:RCI.B), see increased competition from new cellphone companies promising lower-priced packages without contracts.
So far, the older companies have said newcomers aren’t significantly eating into their customer base, but they’ve also been beefing up their network speeds and product offerings in hopes that customers won’t stray in future.
