4G LTE offers wireless Internet speeds two to three times faster than other technologies

Kelowna, B.C. – TELUS has invested $100,000 to bring the world's most advanced and fastest wireless technology to customers in Big White, B.C. This expansion of TELUS' 4GLong Term Evolution (LTE) network coverage means that even more residents and visitors to one of the most popular winter resorts in the Southern Interior can experience dramatically faster downloads when surfing the web, reading emails or sharing photos on social networking sites.

This investment brings LTE and expanded 4G coverage to the Big White village and part of the mountain. TELUS will invest another $100,000 later this year to expand LTE coverage to more of the mountain, meaning winter sports enthusiasts will experience lightning fast Internet from popular runs like Rollercoaster and chair lifts such as the Snow Ghost Express.

TELUS rolled out 4G LTE to almost 90 per cent of British Columbians in 2012 and plans to connect even more by the end of 2013.

"TELUS' investment to expand our 4G LTE network to Big White will give area residents and tourists faster wireless Internet while around the village and on the slopes," said Steve Jenkins, TELUS general manager for the Southern Interior. "These days everyone is hyper connected to the online world with the latest smartphones like the BlackBerry Q10 and Samsung Galaxy S4, whether they're sharing photos or video clips with friends on social media or getting some work done while on the go. With this new technology, TELUS customers right here will have a mobile Internet connection that is just as fast as the connection they have at home."

4G LTE is rapidly emerging as the new standard for wireless technology in the world, with most new handsets built to take advantage of its superior speed. TELUS customers can already experience the full capabilities of TELUS' 4G LTE network with the popular HTC One, BlackBerry Q10, Samsung Galaxy S4, Samsung Galaxy Note II, Samsung Rugby LTE, Samsung ATIV S, LG Optimus G, HTC One X+, Huawei E397 4G LTE Mobile Internet Key and Samsung Galaxy Tab 8.9 LTE. Consistent with TELUS' clear and simple pricing approach, current rate plans will apply to all TELUS 4G LTE customers without premium charges.

TELUS' 4G LTE network supports manufacturers' top download speeds of up to 75 megabits per second (Mbps), with an expected average of 12 to 25 Mbps depending on signal strength. Using 4G LTE, TELUS customers will experience dramatically faster and seamless downloads when surfing the web, reading emails or getting the latest chart topping music. For example, downloading a 600 megabyte album with a 4G LTE-capable device will only take 3.5 to 7 minutes, while a 1.2GB HD movie from iTunes will be ready for viewing in just 7 to 14 minutes. Most importantly, TELUS customers will move seamlessly from 4G LTE to the existing 4G HSPA networks when roaming out of areas with LTE, and will have no disruption to wireless service or downloading.

4G LTE is the latest evolution in TELUS' wireless network technology rollout, building on the 2009 launch of its coast-to-coast 4G HSPA wireless network. Today this network reaches more than 97 per cent of Canadians. Since 2000, TELUS has invested more than $30 billion to bring Canadians some of the most advanced wireless networks in the world. This investment is part of the $3 billion TELUS is investing in new infrastructure and facilities in B.C. from 2012 to 2014.

Additionally, TELUS is putting customers first and embracing new ideas to make the TELUS experience even better. Listening to customers, TELUS has launched Canada's first network experience mobile application, giving customers an easy way to report network issues. The company has also eliminated activation fees and dramatically simplified its entire fee schedule. This builds on a series of improvements where TELUS eliminated carrier 911 and system access fees on all its Clear and Simple rate plans; reduced bill shock with Flex Data Plans, Data Notifications and travel roaming packages; added Caller ID and Voicemail as standard on all TELUS rate plans; simplified device pricing with Anytime Upgrades; and revolutionized mobility contracts by introducing a Device Balance instead of a contract termination fee.

TELUS (TSX: T, NYSE: TU) is a leading national telecommunications company in Canada, with $10.9 billion of annual revenue and more than 13.1 million customer connections, including 7.7 million wireless subscribers, 3.4 million wireline network access lines, 1.4 million Internet subscribers and 678,000 TELUS TV customers. Led since 2000 by President and CEO, Darren Entwistle, TELUS provides a wide range of communications products and services, including wireless, data, Internet protocol (IP), voice, television, entertainment and video.

In support of our philosophy to give where we live, TELUS, our team members and retirees have contributed more than $300 million to charitable and not-for-profit organizations and volunteered 4.8 million hours of service to local communities since 2000. Fourteen TELUS Community Boards lead TELUS' local philanthropic initiatives. 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.

This news release contains forward looking statements regarding further LTE coverage expansion, LTE device availability and content library growth. By their nature, forward-looking statements require the Company to make assumptions and predictions about future events and are subject to inherent risks and uncertainties, which could cause actual outcomes to differ materially from that expressed or implied by the forward looking statements. Accordingly, readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. TELUS disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise forward-looking statements.

Company Contact Information:

Submit your press release to the Castanet Press Room to communicate your message to the Okanagan's largest online audience. With over 380,000 unique visitors weekly, the Press Room is an effective way to make an announcement with impact.

Disclaimer: All press releases are reviewed by Castanet staff before going live. From the time you submit your press release, please allow up to 48 hours for your release to go live.