Telus Mobility plans to invest $650 million into advancing the phone network technology in Ontario over the next three years, creating 900 jobs in the process.
The company is extending its 4G Long Term Evolution (LTE) service to Barrie, Ontario, Windsor, Muskoka, the Niagara area, and Kingston this year, and hopes to secure more wireless spectrum through Industry Canada’s upcoming spectrum auctions to cover 95 percent of the Ontario population.
“These investments will help support growth across our wireline and wireless services, meeting the exponential demand for advanced communications technology that we see across the province,” Joe Natale, Telus chief commercial officer, said in a release.
4G technology is the fourth-generation of wireless service and is considerably faster than 3G, allowing faster downloads and streaming for mobile, laptop, and tablet users.
The 4G LTE network will allow mobile, tablet, and laptop users to experience a much faster connection to the web, making browsing, downloading, and streaming much more accessible.
The company will also use the investment to improve the delivery of drugs through its Health Network System, an electronic system allowing pharmacies to submit drug benefit claims electronically.
Last May, Telus was awarded a two-year contract extension with Ontario’s Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care to continue the service. The system settles 125 million claims per year and has been used by 2.2 million Ontarians.
Some of the $650 million investment will also be used to support community fundraising, the company says.
Telus, which serves 12.7 million customers across Canada with an annual revenue of $10.5 billion, has invested $22 billion in Ontrio since 2000.
Telus announced a similar three-year plan for Quebec on Tuesday on the anniversary of its 85th year in the province, saying it plans to invest $840 million in the province.
