TELUS investing $650 million in Alberta this year to expand advanced
broadband services

EDMONTON and CALGARY, March 17 /CNW/ - TELUS today announced it is investing $650 million in Alberta in 2010 as it continues extending the reach and speed of its advanced wireline and wireless broadband services to more Albertans.

"Since 2000, TELUS has made more than $21 billion in operating and capital investments in Alberta," said Darren Entwistle, TELUS president and CEO. "This massive commitment to the province is enabling one of the world's leading wireless networks and the widespread availability of high definition TELUS TV. This year's capital investment continues TELUS' longstanding commitment to providing Albertans with access to some of the world's best telecommunications technology, including the fastest and biggest wireless network that Albertans can access*."

In 2010, TELUS is continuing to invest heavily in broadband networks across Alberta to deliver advanced Internet services and high definition digital TELUS TV. One of TELUS' innovative new services is an enhanced version of TELUS TV, powered by Microsoft Mediaroom. This new platform offers customers a single personal video recorder (PVR) solution for the whole home. PVR Anywhere can record and play back shows on up to six TVs in a home, record three programs simultaneously from any room, and pause or record a show in one room and continue from the same spot in a different room.

This year TELUS will also continue to expand its wireless broadband network throughout the province, building on the November 2009 launch of the fastest and biggest wireless network in Alberta and Canada*. The new network enables speeds of up to 21 mbps† and reaches 93 per cent of Canada's population, including Albertans from Slave Lake to Pincher Creek, Grande Cache to Lloydminster.

Mr. Entwistle added TELUS' commitment to Alberta communities extends beyond infrastructure and new services.

"Since 2000, TELUS, our team members and retirees have contributed $56 million and one million volunteer hours to charitable and community organizations in Alberta. Building on our heartfelt tradition of community giving, this year TELUS plans to contribute $14 million to charitable organizations and community initiatives in the province."

TELUS was recently recognized by the Association of Fundraising Professionals as the 2010 Most Outstanding Philanthropic Corporation globally, the first time a Canadian company has ever received this international honour. TELUS has supported more than 1,000 Alberta charitable and non-profit organizations, including the TELUS World of Science in Calgary and Edmonton, the Stollery Children's Hospital Foundation, the Alberta Children's Hospital Foundation, the United Way of the Alberta Capital Region, the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Alberta, NWT & Nunavut, the Calgary Humane Society, the Canadian Cancer Society (Alberta/North West Territories Division) and the Alberta Cancer Foundation.

The capital investment disclosed in this release is consistent with TELUS' overall capital expenditure guidance for 2010.

*Comparing HSPA/HSPA+ national networks: "fastest" according to tests of data throughput speeds in large Canadian urban centres and "biggest" based on population covered. † Based on manufacturers' rated download speed of up to 21 Megabits per second. Compatible device required. Actual speed may vary by device being used, topography and environmental conditions, network congestion, signal strength, and other factors.

About TELUS

TELUS (TSX: T, T.A; NYSE: TU) is a leading national telecommunications company in Canada, with $9.6 billion of annual revenue and 12 million customer connections including 6.5 million wireless subscribers, 4 million wireline network access lines and 1.2 million Internet subscribers and 170,000 TELUS TV customers. Led since 2000 by President and CEO, Darren Entwistle, TELUS provides a wide range of communications products and services including data, Internet protocol (IP), voice, entertainment and video.

In support of our philosophy to give where we live, TELUS, our team members and retirees have contributed $158 million to charitable and not-for-profit organizations and volunteered more than 3 million hours of service to local communities since 2000. Nine TELUS Community Boards across Canada 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 ever to receive this prestigious international recognition.

Forward-looking statements

This news release contains forward looking statements regarding further capital investments, network expansion, technology and TELUS services. 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, including assumptions and risks regarding the Company's 2010 targets, capital expenditures, technology and network build, 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.

For further information: Chris Gerritsen, TELUS Media Relations, [phone], [email protected]