NEWS RELEASE
For Immediate Release 2005LCS0026-001168 Dec. 16, 2005	Ministry of Labour and Citizens' Services TELUS
RURAL B.C. HOMES AND BUSINESSES GETTING CONNECTED

VICTORIA – Thirty-one rural B.C. communities will soon have access to high-speed Internet service from local Internet service providers (ISP), thanks to a partnership between the Province and TELUS, Labour and Citizens’ Services Minister Mike de Jong and TELUS president of business solutions Joe Natale announced today.

 

In April, the Province and TELUS announced they would connect 119 rural communities to high-speed Internet under the Connecting Communities Agreement. They started seeking local groups interested in providing “last-mile” service to homes and businesses once TELUS connects high-speed Internet to a central location in each community.

 

“Affordable high-speed Internet access for all British Columbians is part of government’s goal to make B.C. the best educated, most literate jurisdiction on the continent,” said de Jong. “Improving connectivity will help build sustainable communities, improving opportunities for business, education and health care.”

 

“TELUS is investing $110 million to bring high speed Internet access and expand broadband service to rural B.C. communities. We will partner with 20 local ISPs, from First Nations groups to small community-based businesses, to take that connection to citizens in 31 of those small communities,” said Natale. “We’re helping to create new, exciting opportunities for these businesses while opening our rural communities to improved health care, education and economic development.”

 

More than 60 organizations expressed interest in partnering with TELUS to make the last-mile connection. All applications were reviewed jointly by the Province and TELUS. The Province and TELUS have now awarded 20 of these organizations – including First Nations groups, community-based interests and existing ISPs – as the service providers for 31 of the 119 communities. TELUS will enter agreements with each to connect them to a high-speed access point at a competitive cost. In turn, the ISPs will provide local service to homes and businesses.

 

Earlier this year, TELUS began providing customers affordable high-speed Internet in nine of the 119 communities. The Province and TELUS will continue to engage with organizations interested in ISP status for the remaining 79 communities.

 

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For more information, visit the Connecting Communities Website at www.network.gov.bc.ca or www.telus.com/connectingcommunities.

 

1 backgrounder(s) attached. 1 factsheet(s) attached.
Media contact:	Graham Currie Communications Director Ministry of Labour and Citizens’ Services 250 387-2699	Shawn Hall Media and Public Relations TELUS 604 697-8176 shawn.hall@telus.com
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