Historic moment: Quebec’s Lower North Shore digitally transformed with the deployment of TELUS high speed network
November 15 2019 - 12:00PM
Minister of Energy and Natural Resources and Minister responsible
for the Côte-Nord Region, Jonathan Julien and members of the Innu
community and TELUS joined local representatives of the Lower North
Shore in Pakua Shipu today to celebrate the beginning of a new
digital era in the region. For the first time and thanks to an
innovation based on LTE Advanced technology, families and
businesses from the communities of Brador, Middle Bay, Pakua Shipu,
Saint-Augustin and Old Fort now have access to wireless phone
services and can browse the Internet at similar speeds as those in
urban areas.
“The Prime Minister made a clear commitment,
stating that in 2019, access to high-speed Internet and cellular
phone services is not a luxury, but a necessity. This connection
fosters the vitality of northern communities and supports a
stronger regional economy. In addition to improving the quality of
life of the local population, TELUS’ high-performance network
implemented on the Lower North Shore will better equip public
institutions and support the development of local businesses. This
will be the focus of our government until all Quebecers have access
to high-quality digital infrastructure. In 2019, calling the North
home should not mean isolation”, explains Jonatan Julien, Minister
of Energy and Natural Resources and Minister Responsible for the
Côte-Nord Region
“At TELUS, our ambition is to bridge the digital
divide and give everyone an equal chance to prosper, no matter
their circumstances or where they live, by expanding our network
coverage to reach the most remote places in Quebec and Canada,”
explains François Gratton, Group President, TELUS and Chair, TELUS
Québec. “We are leveraging the ingenuity of our team and our
award-winning networks to build one of our most complex and biggest
digital infrastructure projects north of the 49th parallel. This
new connectivity in the Lower North Shore will enable its residents
to be all connected for good, ensuring the growth of local
businesses by taking advantage of digital opportunities. It means
health care workers can further use technologies to provide
valuable care, and it gives villages a powerful tool to attract new
teachers, professionals and families.”
This is the first milestone of an important high
speed wireless Internet deployment in the vast and roadless Lower
North Shore territory which is possible through a joint investment
of more than $23 million by the provincial and federal
governments, and by TELUS. This is a true digital breakthrough for
the Lower North Shore which will reduce isolation and depopulation,
bring enhanced speeds for entertainment and business and connect
the region, its health centres and its schools to the rest of the
world.
“It’s a bridge to the future that TELUS and the
governments are building for the Pakua Shipu Innu community as well
as the entire Lower North Shore,” adds Denis Mestenapéo, Pakua
Shipu band council chief. “In fact, I would even go so far as to
say that it is a historical moment. The new connectivity will help
us preserve our traditions, which are so important, while giving us
access to invaluable digital tools to share our rich culture.”
One of TELUS largest, most complex
digital infrastructure projects north of the 49th
parallel
To provide high-speed connectivity services to
the remote communities of the Lower North Shore in a timely and
cost-effective way, TELUS is drawing on LTE Advanced world-class
wireless technology. The service is powered by a mixed IP backbone
network combining 200 kilometers of lightning-fast fibre optics and
one of the largest and most technologically advanced microwave
radio systems deployed in the world. In addition to providing 5,000
residents and local businesses with access to high-speed
connections at home and at work, the LTE Advanced network will
enhance connectivity and security on the go thanks to wireless
mobile services. The chosen technology is best suited to serve the
challenging and roadless territory of the Lower North Shore,
stretching along 400 km of coastline. Equipment was brought in by
boat and helicopter, and teams traveled by all-terrain vehicles to
build and activate remote sites.
The Blanc-Sablon and Lourdes-de-Blanc-Sablon
communities will be connected to the new network in the next few
weeks, and St. Paul’s River will be next in early 2020. TELUS will
continue deploying its high speed network next year in the villages
between Kegaska and La Tabatière. In addition, 16 public
institutions, including schools and health care centres, will be
directly connected to fibre optics, which is the fastest technology
in the world. TELUS expects to reach all 1,750 families and nearly
100 businesses in all Lower North Shore communities by 2021,
which is nearly a year ahead of the date that was initially shared
by TELUS. The company is also opening one of its most remote stores
in Canada in Blanc-Sablon, consolidating its local presence for
years to come.
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.
Jacinthe BeaulieuTELUS Media
Relations418-318-6102jacinthe.beaulieu@telus.com
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