TELUS pledge with conditions

Times Contributor          

 

Eighty per cent of Albertans own a cell phone, placing them in the highest ratio of cell phone users in Canada. With the development of the iPhone, the iPad, tablet and other communication devices, aside from home computers, there is a need for communication providers to keep up with the latest technology to hold onto their customer base.

“Smart phone growth has exploded across the province,” said Chris Gerritsen, a spokesperson for TELUS. “It is crucial that TELUS continues to invest in technology and provide faster processing speeds and reliable service to its customers.”

To that end, TELUS has pledged to invest $700,000 in the Strathmore area to upgrade the technology and software, improving the network, so service is more reliable. It is just part of a $2.6 billion investment TELUS will make in other areas of Alberta over a three-year period. Gerritsen said users won’t necessarily see more towers dotting landscapes, but they will see a difference in download speeds, a wider receiving area and fewer dropped calls in their calling area. 

TELUS currently provides 4G LTE to almost 85 per cent of Canada’s population. They have begun preparing their wireless sites to operationalize a 700 MHz spectrum, which will be used by TELUS to further enhance LTE coverage in urban and rural areas, with a strong goal to reach 97 per cent of the population. The upgrades are expected to improve downloads through the Optik Smart remote app as well, which enables users to manage PVR recordings from their iPhone or iPad, and Optik on the Go which provides access to more than 2,000 on demand shows and movies on smartphones, tablets and laptops.

“TELUS is committed to the continued expansion and improvement of our network,” said Pam Karnik, vice-president of TELUS Customer Solutions Delivery. “Through our $700,000 investment in technology and infrastructure in Strathmore, even more of our customers, the people and businesses, will benefit from more reliable Internet and the freedom of choice with our Internet-based television service, Optik TV.”

When asked about hotspot Wi-Fi connectivity for their clients, something competitors are offering their customers, Gerritsen said they don’t currently provide Wi-Fi service outside the subscribers home or business.

According to Statistics Canada, Canadians haven’t totally given up on their landline phones as yet either, with more than 65 per cent using cell and landline phones. So, when questioned whether any money will be dedicated to covering exposed landlines in some of Strathmore’s adjacent rural areas, which has been an ongoing area complaint, Gerritsen replied that those issues would fall under a different program and gave no comment when that work would be completed. 

Not unlike some customer cell phone contacts, TELUS’s news release had some fine print attached. The company added a disclaimer that the statements about expected future events, including TELUS’ projected multi-year capital and operating expenditures, which include the spectrum licence purchases that are forward-looking, may be good intentions, but not necessarily set in stone. 

“The investments described for 2015 and 2016 are subject to the ongoing review and approval of TELUS’ Board of Directors. 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 (such as regulatory and government decisions, the competitive environment, economic conditions, our ability to purchase spectrum licences through auctions or third-parties, and our earnings, free cash flow and financial position) could cause actual capital and operating expenditures to differ materially from those expressed in the forward-looking statements Accordingly, this news release is subject to the disclaimer and qualified by the assumptions (including the assumptions for our 2014 annual guidance, semi-annual dividend increases through 2016, ability to sustain and complete our multi-year share purchase programs through 2016), qualifications and risk factors referred to in the 2013 annual report, which are specifically incorporated by reference herein, and in other TELUS public disclosure documents and filings with securities commissions in Canada (on SEDAR at sedar.com) and in the United States (on EDGAR at sec.gov). Except as required by law, TELUS disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise forward-looking statements.”