TELUS investing $8.4 million in Atlantic Canada, including more than $5 million in Nova Scotia over the next three years

TELUS will hire 65 new employees in Atlantic Canada this year alone

HALIFAX, July 25, 2012 /CNW/ - TELUS will invest $8.4 million in advanced technology over the next three years in Atlantic Canada.

The significant investment builds on the more than $45 million the company has invested in technology and operations in the Atlantic Provinces since 2000. It supports the expansion and extension of TELUS' 4G LTE* service, which uses the fastest wireless technology in the world. TELUS' investments will also result in the hiring of 65 people across Atlantic Canada to support its growth.

As part of this investment, TELUS will invest $5 million in Nova Scotia including $3.8 million in the Halifax Regional Municipality, supporting the extension of TELUS' 4G LTE service to the community.

"TELUS' $8.4 million investment in Atlantic Canada over the next three years supports the enhancement and expansion of our wireless service, which is based on the most advanced, fastest wireless technology available in the world today," said Ken Power, director of Atlantic Canada, TELUS. "The demand for wireless services is exploding in Atlantic Canada and TELUS is committed to making investments in infrastructure and technology to better serve our customers and their communities. We are deeply grateful for the hard work and outstanding commitment of our more than 240 local team members and retirees in support of our customers. At the same time, hiring more than 65 people will help us support the future economic prosperity of Atlantic Canada."

TELUS' commitment also extends to supporting local charities and community organizations. As part of TELUS' commitment to give where we live, for the first time, Halifax is hosting the TELUS World Skins Game. Since 2001, the TELUS World Skins Game has raised more than $10.4 million for a wide variety of important causes across Canada, and as part of the TELUS World Skins Game's long-standing tradition of benefiting local charities, all funds raised from this year's event will go to IWK Health Centre Foundation - an organization providing critical and specialized care to women, children and families throughout the Maritimes. 

"The growth and success of TELUS' business relies heavily on the health and well-being of local communities and we recognize the importance of this bond," said Gen. (Ret.) Rick Hillier, Chair of the TELUS Atlantic Canada Community Board. "The TELUS World Skins Game is a perfect example of this relationship; our local community will not only have an unforgettable opportunity to see some of the best players in the world compete in their own backyard, but equally as important, the Game allows TELUS to leave a significant charitable legacy in the Atlantic Canada community."

Since 2000, TELUS and our more than 240 team members and retirees in Atlantic Canada will have contributed more than $4.6 million to local charities and community organizations and more importantly, our team has volunteered more than 5,500 hours to supporting Atlantic Canada charities and community organizations including the IWK Foundation, Boys and Girls Club of Canada and Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation Atlantic Region.

As part of this contribution, the TELUS Atlantic Canada Community Board has donated more than $1.1 million in support of 65 charities including MicMac Amateur Aquatic Club, Neptune Theatre, Feed Nova Scotia, Saint John Theatre Company, Camp Gencheff, Destination Gander, Antigonish Women's Resource Centre and Phoenix Youth Programs since its inception in 2009. Moreover, in 2012, the Board will give an additional $500,000 to local grassroots charities.

The capital investment disclosed in this release is consistent with TELUS' overall capital expenditure target for 2012.

*TELUS 4G LTE service supports manufacturers' rated peak download speeds of up to 75 megabits per second (Mbps), with an expected average of 12 to 25 Mbps.

About TELUS
TELUS (TSX: T, T.A; NYSE: TU) is a leading national telecommunications company in Canada, with $10.5 billion of annual revenue and 12.7 million customer connections including 7.4 million wireless subscribers, 3.5 million wireline network access lines and 1.3 million Internet subscribers and more than 550,000 TELUS TV customers. Led since 2000 by President and CEO, Darren Entwistle, TELUS provides a wide range of communications products and services including wireless, data, Internet protocol (IP), voice, television, entertainment and video.

In support of our philosophy to give where we live, TELUS, our team members and retirees have contributed more than $260 million to charitable and not-for-profit organizations and volunteered 4.2 million hours of service to local communities since 2000. Eleven TELUS Community Boards across Canada lead TELUS' local philanthropic initiatives. 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.

Forward looking statement:

This news release contains statements about expected future events of TELUS that are forward-looking. By their nature, forward-looking statements require the Company to make assumptions and predictions and are subject to inherent risks and uncertainties. There is significant risk that the forward-looking statements will not prove to be accurate. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements as a number of factors could cause actual future events to differ materially from that expressed in the forward-looking statements. Except as required by law, TELUS disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise forward-looking statements.

SOURCE: TELUS Corporation

Elisabeth Napolano
TELUS Media Relations
416-906-9830
[email protected]