VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA--(Marketwired - April 3, 2017) - (TSX:T)(NYSE:TU) - TELUS is significantly expanding its presence in Manitoba, including welcoming more than 100,000 Manitobans to the recently enhanced TELUS network. Following the completion of BCE's acquisition of MTS, TELUS and Bell have now formally closed their deal to have approximately one-quarter of Bell MTS' postpaid wireless customers and 15 dealer locations assumed to TELUS. The deal is valued at approximated $300 million, and closed on April 1, 2017.
"The TELUS team looks forward to welcoming our Manitoba customers into the TELUS family and providing them with a pervasive, high-quality wireless network in both urban and rural areas of the province," said Darren Entwistle, TELUS President and CEO. "TELUS has a longstanding commitment to putting our valued customers first and we will ensure our new clients are supported with a seamless transition. As we expand our presence in the province, we look forward to earning the patronage of Manitobans and showing how truly dedicated we are to providing exceptional customer experiences each and every day."
New and existing TELUS and Koodo customers will enjoy a significantly enhanced network in more places across Manitoba. As the result of a broader network sharing agreement between TELUS and Bell, customers of both companies will access the same high quality and reliable 4G LTE coverage. In addition, TELUS has made significant investments in wireless technology and infrastructure to further enhance the reliability, speed, functionality and reach of its world-leading 4G LTE network.
In the coming months, select Bell MTS customers will be notified by mail that they are transitioning to TELUS. TELUS is committed to ensuring the transition is as smooth as possible. All customers transitioning to TELUS will keep their same phone number, and TELUS will make sure that each new customer enjoys plans, rates and features that match or improve upon their existing MTS plan. Until the transition, all customers will maintain their current service and rate plan with Bell MTS.
"Demonstrating our commitment to creating a friendly future for Manitobans, we are making significant technology investments to enable unprecedented health, educational and economic opportunities," continued Entwistle. "Moreover, through our new TELUS Manitoba Community Board, we are putting funding decisions in the hands of local leaders to support grassroots programs and initiatives that will educate, inspire and empower Manitoba youth as well as build stronger and more sustainable communities for generations to come."
Existing TELUS and Koodo customers will also benefit from TELUS' expanded presence in Manitoba. They too will enjoy fast, reliable coverage on the new enhanced network as a result of TELUS' network investments and the network sharing agreement with Bell, and will have access to four times as many TELUS stores in the province as they currently do.
As part of TELUS' commitment to Manitoba, TELUS is investing $1 million in charitable and grassroots organizations across the province, with a specific focus on helping youth reach their full potential. This February, TELUS announced the formation of its 12 th Community Board in Canada, The TELUS Manitoba Community Board. Chaired by Dave Johnston, newly-retired President and COO of Great West Life's Canadian Division, the board is comprised of distinguished Manitoba community leaders and TELUS team members, and will provide $500,000 in funding to local charities each year. The board's focus will be to improve the lives of youth and families, concentrating on projects in health, education, and the environment. To be eligible for funding from the TELUS Manitoba Community Board, organizations must be a registered Canadian charity. Projects seeking funding can apply online at telus.com/community .
For more information about TELUS in Manitoba, please visit telus.com/mobility/mts.
About TELUS
TELUS (TSX:T)(NYSE:TU) is Canada's fastest-growing national telecommunications company, with $12.8 billion of annual revenue and 12.7 million subscriber connections, including 8.6 million wireless subscribers, 1.7 million high-speed Internet subscribers, 1.4 million residential network access lines and more than 1.0 million TELUS TV customers. TELUS provides a wide range of communications products and services, including wireless, data, Internet protocol (IP), voice, television, entertainment and video, and is Canada's largest healthcare IT provider.
In support of our philosophy to give where we live, TELUS, our team members and retirees have contributed over $482 million to charitable and not-for-profit organizations and volunteered more than 1 million days of service to local communities since 2000. TELUS' 12 Canadian community boards and 5 International boards have led the Company's support of grassroots charities and have contributed more than $60 million in support of 5,595 local charitable projects, enriching the lives of more than 2 million children and youth, annually. 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. TELUS has been named to the Dow Jones Sustainability Index for the past 16 years, a feat unequalled by any other North American telecommunications company. As detailed in our TELUS Sustainability Report , our commitment to sustainability is inspired by nature to ensure a healthier future for us all.
For more information about TELUS, please visit telus.com
Caution regarding forward looking statements
This news release contains statements about future events and plans at TELUS (the Company) 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. The forward-looking statements contained in this news release describe the Company's expectations at the date of this news release and, accordingly, are subject to change after such date. 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 the assumptions and predictions expressed in the forward-looking statements. Accordingly, this news release is subject to the disclaimer and qualified by the assumptions, qualifications and risk factors referred to in the 2016 Management's discussion and analysis, 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.
