Telus 2013 Annual Report Download - page 11

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spectrum licences until such time as Industry Canada reconfirms that we qualify as a
radio communications carrier and that we comply with Canadian Ownership and Control
rules. Spectrum in the 700 MHz range has superior propagation capabilities that make it
effective and efficient in covering Canada's expansive rural geography, as well as
improving the quality of in-building coverage in urban areas. We also plan to participate
in Industry Canada’s auction of spectrum in the 2,500-2,690 MHz bands currently
expected to be in April 2015.
In 2013, we continued our broadband infrastructure expansion and upgrades, including
connecting more businesses, homes and multi-dwelling units directly to fibre optic cable,
and expanding rural broadband connections. These investments increase Internet
speeds and the capacity to support TV, Internet and data service growth, as well as
extending the reach of our healthcare solutions, and provide backhaul capability for
expanding wireless services. At the end of 2013, our broadband HD coverage reached
more than 2.7 million households in B.C., Alberta and Eastern Quebec.
We opened our newest technologically and environmentally advanced cloud computing
Internet Data Centre (IDC) in Kamloops, B.C. in 2013 to enhance our ability to offer
cloud-based services. The Kamloops facility and our Rimouski, Quebec facility, which
opened in 2012, have been designed to Uptime Institute Tier III standards for reliability
and security, and to the leadership in energy and environmental design (LEED) gold
standard for sustainability. A modular design approach facilitates scalable expansion in
the future. These new IDCs connect directly to our national IP network and interconnect
with our existing data centres across the country, creating an advanced and regionally
diverse computing infrastructure in Canada. In 2013, we closed two older, less efficient
data centres after migration of services to these new facilities.
Focusing relentlessly on the growth markets of data, IP and wireless
In May 2011, we entered into a five-year contract extension with the Government of Ontario
to provide, manage and supply a portfolio of telecommunications services, including
information technology security.
In addition, in 2011, following a three-year request for proposal and negotiation process, we
signed a 10-year agreement with the Government of B.C. to provide telecommunications
and strategic services to the government and its public sector partners. We were the
government’s previous service provider for many of these services. Under this agreement, in
2012 we extended wireless coverage along 455 km of primary and secondary highways
in B.C. and upgraded 129 B.C. schools from legacy copper services to fibre optic
Internet connections. By January 2014, we have extended wireless coverage along 880
km of primary and secondary highways in B.C. and upgraded 237 of 437 B.C. public
schools from legacy copper to faster fibre-optic Internet connections.
In August 2012, we introduced prepaid services to the Koodo® brand for the first time, to
complement existing Koodo postpaid offerings.
In 2013, we extended a contract to provide connectivity services to a major power
supplier in Alberta.
TELUS has continued to develop its position and expand its footprint in the health care
sector. We continued to drive improved patient experience through the delivery of patient