TELUS and the City of Spruce Grove investing $54 million to connect the city to the gigabit-enabled fibre optic network, dramatically increasing wireless and Internet speeds throughout the region
Advanced TELUS PureFibre network will connect residents and businesses directly to gigabit Internet speeds while expanding cellular coverage throughout the region
TELUS and the City of Spruce Grove are investing $54 million to connect homes and businesses in Spruce Grove directly to our fibre optic network. Through this collaboration, the City is contributing $4.25M to the project towards building out connectivity throughout the industrial areas of the city, and TELUS is investing a further $50M to connect over 90% of homes and businesses within the City boundary. The City and TELUS have also agreed to explore potential Smart City applications that would be of benefit to residents and City operations. This investment is part of TELUS’ recently announced commitment to invest $14.5 billion in infrastructure and operations across Alberta through 2024 to further support the province throughout the Covid-19 pandemic and subsequent economic recovery. Work on the PureFibre network in Spruce Grove is starting this month, and TELUS anticipates the majority of homes and businesses will be connected by the end of 2023, with the commercial and industrial areas to be completed first. Since 2013, TELUS has invested more than $5 billion to connect 137 communities and 56 First Nations across B.C., Alberta, and parts of Quebec to our PureFibre network. TELUS PureFibre with its symmetrical upload and download speeds was ready to withstand the additional demands of the Covid-19 pandemic, supporting more than two million Albertans as they adapted to new ways of living, enabling people to work with large files at home while other family members could simultaneously be participating in virtual school, virtually connecting with healthcare practitioners, or staying socially connected.
“TELUS is very proud to be making this generational investment in Spruce Grove, providing the technology to bridge geographic and socio-economic divides and connect citizens to the people, resources and information that make their lives better, particularly as we continue to navigate the global pandemic,” said Darren Entwistle, President and CEO of TELUS. “Importantly, TELUS PureFibre offers the community a globally unmatched wireline infrastructure that ensures all citizens have access to the digital tools to drive improved health, social and economic outcomes. Moreover, TELUS PureFibre enables entrepreneurs, start-ups and home-based businesses and workers to benefit from the same Internet speeds, functionality, reliability and security that large enterprises currently enjoy. We look forward to connecting our fellow Albertans in Spruce Grove to TELUS PureFibre and supporting the community as it attracts new industries and innovators, supporting the jobs of today and those that have yet to be imagined.”
The gigabit-enabled TELUS PureFibre network is the largest 100 per cent pure fibre-to-the-premise (FTTP) network in Western Canada, giving residents and businesses dramatically fast upload and download Internet speeds, which provides significant benefits for applications like video conferencing, working or learning remotely, gaming, and smart home security. Supported by the TELUS PureFibre network, TELUS Smart Home Security offers 24/7 real-time monitoring and smart controls to manage cameras, lock and unlock doors, remotely manage indoor and outdoor lighting and even the thermostat. For Canadians currently working from a home office, a PureFibre connection means upload speeds will not slow down the pace of business or lag during peak hours, and the rest of the family can simultaneously stream, play video games, and participate in online learning.
“Reliable, high-speed internet connection is an essential amenity for residents and businesses. Investing in a fibre optic network in our industrial and commercial districts is critical to economic sustainability. This network will enhance Spruce Grove’s market competitiveness by helping attract and retain talent, as well as drive new investments and business development,” says Spruce Grove Mayor Stuart Houston. “On top of that, the City’s investment in the fibre for our industrial area and our partnership with TELUS in this project has led to the acceleration of development of the fibre network in Spruce Grove and other communities in region, moving these projects up on TELUS’ provincial schedule and benefiting the entire region.”
Last year, TELUS announced a groundbreaking new tier of home Internet, setting a new benchmark for home and business Internet speeds in Western Canada. With blisteringly fast speeds clocking in at up to 1,500 Mbps download and up to 940 Mbps upload, the launch of TELUS PureFibre 1.5 Gigabit marked a substantial leap in available speeds for residents in B.C. and Alberta, both at home and in the workplace.
Since 2000, TELUS, our team members and retirees have contributed more than $165 million and 2.96 million volunteer hours to charities and community organizations located in Alberta.
“It’s great to see this major project coming to life in Spruce Grove,” says Searle Turton, MLA for Spruce Grove-Stony Plain. “TELUS has made significant investments across the province, and the fibre buildout in Spruce Grove is the largest infrastructure investment the community has ever seen. This partnership forged between TELUS and the City of Spruce Grove is enabling growth, connectivity, and economic development across the region now and for many years to come.”
Residents can expect to see TELUS trucks throughout the community as construction begins. Once homes are connected, residents can immediately begin taking advantage of dramatically faster and symmetrical Internet speeds.
For more information, please visit telus.com/purefibre.