TELUS invests more than $500,000 to bring wireless service to Ahousaht for the first time
November 12 2019 - 12:00PM
TELUS has invested more than $500,000 to build a new cell site in
Ahousaht, a remote community off the west coast of Tofino on
Vancouver Island, and is the first provider to bring high-speed
wireless voice, text and Internet service to the community.
Construction on the cell tower is nearing completion and TELUS
anticipates the site will be live this December, providing
residents and visitors in the area access to TELUS’ 4G LTE network,
which has earned global recognition as the best network in Canada
from third party organizations including OpenSignal, J.D. Power,
Tutela, and Ookla.
“We have been engaged with the community of Ahousaht First
Nation for over a year to collaboratively determine the best way to
bring wireless service to this remote area, recognizing how
critical this service is to Ahousaht residents, enabling them to
thrive in our increasingly digital world,” said Shaye Draper, TELUS
General Manager for Vancouver Island. “Perhaps most critically,
this new wireless coverage means residents can call for help in the
event of an accident or medical emergency, and access previously
unavailable services such as consulting with a physician through
the Babylon by TELUS Health app. We are tremendously grateful to
the community of Ahousaht for their ongoing support for this new
connectivity, and their partnership with TELUS.”
The Babylon by TELUS Health app complements existing healthcare
services across the province, particularly for people living in
rural areas. With the free downloadable Babylon by TELUS Health
app, British Columbians have access to a sophisticated symptom
checker, and can schedule a live video consultation with a licenced
B.C. physician. This gives residents the ability to have a video
appointment with a doctor from the comfort of their home or office,
all from a smartphone. This technology promises to be life-changing
for residents in rural areas, like Ahousaht, where it can be
challenging to access timely, local healthcare.
“Indigenous communities throughout British Columbia need to have
access to technologies to fully participate in the digital age,”
said Scott Fraser, Minister of Indigenous Relations and
Reconciliation and MLA for Mid Island-Pacific Rim. “People living
in Ahousaht will be connected to cellular service and improved
internet access for the first time. Better access means community
members will benefit from digital tools that can increase health
services, education and employment opportunities.”
This $500,000 investment is in addition to the billions of
dollars TELUS spends on purchasing spectrum from the federal
government, and the millions of dollars spent annually to maintain
and upgrade TELUS wireless networks for the benefit of their
customers. TELUS serves 178 of B.C.’s First Nations with wireless
and broadband wireline technologies, and has collaborated with 46
Indigenous Governments to bring TELUS PureFibre to their
communities, including 12 in collaboration with the All Nations
Trust Company’s Pathways to Technology program.
“The Province continues to work with other levels of government
and private-sector companies like TELUS to find new ways to expand
cellular coverage in British Columbia,” said Selina Robinson,
Minister of Citizens’ Services. “We have made the Province’s
largest-ever investment with $50 million in new funding to the
Connecting British Columbia program to lay the groundwork through
broadband infrastructure to help connect more communities in rural
B.C. Today’s announcement is another important step to connecting
everyone in B.C. – no matter where they live in the province.”
Construction on the site began earlier this year following a
comprehensive engineering review. Where possible, TELUS engages
local contractors to support their network investments, and hired
local equipment and equipment operators to build the site, and also
used locally available concrete and gravel. TELUS expects that once
live, the site will provide wireless coverage to the vast majority
of the community and new development area.
This investment is part of TELUS’ commitment to invest $4.7
billion throughout British Columbia between 2017 and 2020, at no
cost to taxpayers. For more information about TELUS’ commitment to
serving First Nations communities, please click here.
About TELUS
About TELUS TELUS (TSX: T, NYSE: TU) is a dynamic, world-leading
communications and information technology company with $14.6
billion in annual revenue and 14.5 million customer connections
spanning wireless, data, IP, voice, television, entertainment,
video and security. We leverage our global-leading technology to
enable remarkable human outcomes. Our longstanding commitment to
putting our customers first fuels every aspect of our business,
making us a distinct leader in customer service excellence and
loyalty. TELUS Health is Canada's largest healthcare IT provider,
and TELUS International delivers the most innovative business
process solutions to some of the world’s most established
brands.
Driven by our passionate social purpose to connect all Canadians
for good, our deeply meaningful and enduring philosophy to give
where we live has inspired our team members and retirees to
contribute more than $700 million and 1.3 million days of service
since 2000. This unprecedented generosity and unparalleled
volunteerism have made TELUS the most giving company in the
world.
For more information about TELUS, please visit telus.com, follow
us @TELUSNews on Twitter and @Darren_Entwistle on Instagram
For media inquiries, please contact:
TELUS Media RelationsLiz SauvéLiz.sauve@telus.com
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