The CIB and partners commit $379 million to expand broadband in British Columbia

Approximately 17,000 households to benefit from access to high-speed internet

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TORONTO, July 3, 2026 /CNW/ - The Canada Infrastructure Bank (CIB) and TELUS Corporation (TELUS) have formalized an agreement to expand high-speed internet service across British Columbia. Under the terms of the agreement, the CIB will loan $49.3 million to TELUS, which will provide new broadband access to rural and Indigenous communities.

Person in a high-visibility safety vest and hard hat installs broadband infrastructure beside a roadside utility pole, handling cabling connected to overhead lines. Equipment is set up in tall grass near a two‑lane road, with a lake, forested hills and cloudy sky in the background. (CNW Group/Canada Infrastructure Bank)

Telus (CNW Group/Canada Infrastructure Bank)

The new offering was developed under the provincial Connecting Communities BC program and in partnership with the Government of Canada through the Universal Broadband Fund. TELUS will be responsible for all aspects of construction, installation, operations and maintenance of the new broadband service.

The project involves deployment of backbone and last‑mile broadband infrastructure with fibre‑to‑the‑home, allowing high-speed internet access to more than 17,000 underserved households in rural municipalities, including approximately 380 Indigenous households.

Broadband service is critical to Canadians' daily lives. It is essential for our quality of life, connecting us to business, healthcare, education and to family and friends.

The CIB's concessional financing will allow broadband connectivity to expand at a quicker pace while enabling Indigenous and rural customers to benefit from the same services as urban counterparts.

This investment partnership represents the second collaboration between the CIB and TELUS to expand high-speed internet service in Canada.

Endorsements

The CIB's loan will help bring reliable, high-speed internet to underserved rural and Indigenous communities across British Columbia and improves project viability in regions where fibre optic connectivity is costly. Our work helps close the connectivity gap in communities so Canadians can fully participate in the digital world, with access to the services, opportunities and connections that come with it.

Ehren Cory, CEO, Canada Infrastructure Bank

Through the continued partnership with the Canada Infrastructure Bank, the Government of Canada, and the Government of British Columbia, TELUS is proud to expand our TELUS PureFibre network to rural and Indigenous communities across BC. This investment ensures families, schools, governments, and businesses--wherever they are--can connect, learn, grow and thrive in a digital world. Together we are building a more equitable, stronger, more connected Canada.

Liz Wong, Vice-President, National Network Planning, TELUS    

Learn More:

TELUS
Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada
Province of British Columbia

SOURCE Canada Infrastructure Bank

Media Contacts: Canada Infrastructure Bank, [e-mail]; TELUS Corporation, [e-mail]