TORONTO, ONTARIO--(Marketwired - May 9, 2017) - TELUS (TSX:T)(NYSE:TU) is reaching an historic milestone for Canada's 150 th Birthday: before the end of the year, the company will have invested more than $150 billion in operations and infrastructure across the country since 2000. TELUS will also invest an additional $1.5 billion in new communications infrastructure and technology across Ontario through 2020, including $250 million this year alone. These investments will further enhance the speed, capacity and coverage of our wireless networks in each corner of the province, connect more businesses directly to TELUS' gigabit-enabled fibre network, and enhance TELUS' innovative healthcare solutions for Ontario healthcare providers and citizens.
"As Canada celebrates this significant milestone in our collective history, we have the opportunity to reflect upon the many advantages we enjoy in this exceptional country," said Darren Entwistle, TELUS President and CEO. "Indeed, I have no doubt that the unwavering commitment of the TELUS team and our investment of more than $150 billion in innovation and technology over the past 17 years have contributed significantly to Canada being one of the most connected places on earth. TELUS has evolved from a regional telephone company with roots dating back to our nation's infancy, into a globally leading telecommunications provider, delivering critical services to Canadians from coast to coast to coast. By ensuring Canadians are connected to the people, information and opportunities that matter most - at home, in the office or on the move - our technology innovation will enable our country to compete and succeed on a global basis for the #Next150 years."
In support of the company's philosophy to give where we live, TELUS and its more than 8,000 team members and retirees in Ontario have contributed more than $90 million and 639,000 volunteer hours to charitable and community organizations throughout Ontario since 2000. TELUS has also paid and remitted $2.5 billion in sales, income, property and other taxes in Ontario since 2000.
"Our investments in technology and infrastructure are future-proofing our nation for the next 150 years and helping us address our country's number one social challenge, healthcare efficiency and effectiveness," continued Entwistle. "We are leveraging our world-class technology to enable better health outcomes through secure and reliable access to better health information. This includes providing electronic medical records to more than 20,000 Canadian physicians and health benefit solutions to more than 39,000 extended healthcare providers, enabling them to provide better quality of care across the healthcare continuum. Our investments are helping to build a primary healthcare ecosystem that places the patient at the centre and promotes wellness through the prevention of disease, not just its remediation."
The investments announced in this media release are consistent with TELUS' previously announced capital expenditure plans.
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, including relating to our infrastructure investment plans. By their nature, forward-looking statements do not refer to historical facts and 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 the assumptions and predictions expressed in the forward-looking statements. Our capital expenditure levels could be impacted by our operating and financial results as well as our ability to carry out financing activities. Accordingly, this news release is subject to the disclaimer and qualified by the assumptions, qualifications and risk factors referred to in the Company's 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.
