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| Backgrounder(s) & FactSheet(s): | Backgrounder | Factsheet |
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| Backgrounder(s) & FactSheet(s): | Backgrounder | Factsheet |
VANCOUVER – As part of its plan to make B.C. the best
educated, most literate jurisdiction on the continent and to take full
advantage of infrastructure spending, the Province is partnering with TELUS to
bring broadband access points to 366 B.C. communities by the end of 2006,
Premier Gordon Campbell and TELUS president and CEO Darren Entwistle announced
today.
“We made a commitment to bridge the
digital divide and ensure B.C. communities have access to broadband connections
– and this new partnership will make that possible by the end of next year,”
Campbell said. “B.C. is already number one in Canada when it comes to Internet
connectivity and today we are building on that leadership role. By providing
broadband Internet access across the province, we are opening up a whole new
realm of social and economic opportunities to British Columbians.”
“Unleashing the power of the Internet brings a world of exciting new
health care, education and economic opportunities to all British Columbians,”
Entwistle said. “Over the past five years TELUS has made capital investments of
$2.1 billion in B.C., and this year we plan to invest another $350 million to
continue improving telecommunications services. As part of the partnership we
are announcing today, TELUS will invest more than $110 million in the province
to connect communities to high speed Internet and expand broadband services.
This is an example of our commitment to investing in communities where we live,
work and serve, and our goal of being Canada’s leading corporate citizen.”
NetWork BC – a dedicated project office created by government to bridge the digital divide – and TELUS have signed an agreement that will see 119 of the remaining 151 communities receive broadband access points by the end of 2006. The Province will work with other providers to connect the remaining 32 communities in the same timeframe. Many of the 151 un-served communities are small, rural and remote, and 76 of them are First Nations communities or communities in proximity to First Nations. A community, as defined by the Premier's Technology Council, has a public school, library or healthcare facility.
Government and the broader public sector are projected to spend
more than $245 million for telecommunications services over the next four
years. The NetWork BC project will generate financial benefits of $54 million through
reductions of telecommunications costs associated with the extension of
existing contracts and incentives for transitioning from older legacy
services to next generation services capable of supporting new e-government
services.
At the same time, by aggregating all the existing
telecommunications spending done by government and through a commitment to
reinvestment by TELUS, the province has developed a creative, innovative
approach to bridging the digital divide. This approach avoids investing
millions of taxpayer dollars, as has been done in other jurisdictions.
“B.C.
has chosen an innovative, fiscally responsible way of bringing the benefits of
broadband to people in all regions,” said Management Services Minister Joyce Murray, minister
responsible for NetWork BC. “Broadband
Internet gives people in rural communities new choices and new opportunities,
improving their quality of life.”
The agreement with TELUS will ensure that affordable,
high-speed open network access is brought to the communities identified by the
PTC. Small, local community or provincial Internet Service Providers will have
the opportunity to make the last-mile connection to local homes and businesses
with affordable and reliable high speed Internet.
“This is a real boost for First Nations communities, especially the more remote ones,” said former Chief of the Burrard Indian Band Leonard George. “They will now be able to enjoy the benefits of the Internet, which will bring new educational services and opportunities right into their home community.”
Affordable
high-speed Internet access can change the quality of the daily lives of people
within a community. With it, people can:
TELUS,
headquartered in Vancouver, is the largest telecommunications company in
Western Canada and the second largest in the country, with $7.6 billion of
annual revenue, 4.8 million network access lines and 3.9 million wireless
customers.
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For more information, visit the project website at www.network.gov.bc.ca or www.telus.com/connectingcommunities.
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1 backgrounder(s) attached. 1 factsheet(s) attached.
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contact: |
Press Secretary Office of the Premier 250 213-8218
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Media and Public Relations TELUS 604 697-8176 shawn.hall@telus.com
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Communications Director Ministry of Management Services 250 356-9869
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Visit the Province's website at www.gov.bc.ca for online information and services. |
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