TELUS investing $20 million to connect homes, businesses to fibre optic network

TELUS is investing $20 million to connect more than 90 per cent of homes and businesses in Port Moody directly to its fibre optic network.

Planning is currently underway, and construction will begin in the coming months. TELUS anticipates connecting all homes and businesses by the end of the year.

“Fibre is the future,” said Tony Geheran, TELUS Executive Vice-President and President of Broadband Networks. “The population of Port Moody continues to grow, and this new connectivity will boost the local economy by encouraging investment and helping local businesses thrive, whether they’re established large operations or small home-based start-ups. For households, a direct fibre connection will pave the way for next-generation home entertainment and innovative smart -home technologies that promise to transform our homes and enrich our lives in ways we’ve yet to imagine”

The gigabit-enabled TELUS PureFibre network is among the most advanced communications infrastructure available in the world today, enabling connected residents to immediately take advantage of dramatically faster Internet speeds of up to 150 megabits per second, while interested businesses, schools, healthcare providers, and institutions can access even more speed and capacity.

The TELUS PureFibre network offers symmetrical service, which means customers can upload just as fast as they download. As demand and Internet technologies evolve in the coming years TELUS will offer faster speeds and more capacity, sufficient for decades to come.

“We’re pleased to be working with TELUS as they invest in communications infrastructure that will bring faster and more reliable Internet access to Port Moody residents and businesses,” said Mike Clay, Mayor of Port Moody. “We have a lot of great small businesses in Port Moody that rely on Internet-based technologies. This new network will provide local owners and operators with an excellent high-speed Internet option – it’s a big step forward that will help our residents stay connected and our local businesses prosper, and encourage new businesses to set up shop in our city.”

Local healthcare providers, educators and technology companies will be able to draw upon the technology to reimagine how they deliver existing services and develop entirely new solutions. This new fibre optic infrastructure will also be the backbone of TELUS’ wireless network, enabling more wireless capacity and faster speeds throughout the region, and lays the groundwork for 5G technologies in the years ahead.

This investment is part of TELUS’ commitment to invest $4.7 billion throughout British Columbia between 2017 and 2020, at no cost to taxpayers.