TELUS investing $650 million in Ontario over next three years

Investment bringing world's fastest wireless technology to more than 95 per cent of Ontarians and hiring 900 employees

TORONTO, June 1, 2012 /CNW/ - TELUS will invest more than $650 million in advanced technology over the next three years in Ontario.

The significant investment builds on the more than $22 billion the company has invested in technology and operations in the province since 2000. It will expand and extend TELUS' 4G LTE network, using the fastest wireless technology in the world. TELUS' investments will also result in the hiring of 900 people across Ontario to support its wireless growth.

"Technology is a foundation of a stronger provincial economy," said Joe Natale, TELUS' Chief Commercial Officer. "These investments will help support growth across our wireline and wireless services, meeting the exponential demand for advanced communications technology that we see across the province, and indeed across the country. They'll improve the reach and capacity of our network for existing business customers, and consumers. And, of particular importance, they will help to connect additional rural and small communities. At the same time, hiring 900 people will help us support the future economic prosperity of Ontario."

TELUS' commitment also extends to supporting local charities and community organizations. Since 2000, TELUS' family of more than 8,000 employees and retirees in Ontario have contributed more than $39 million and, more significantly, volunteered 235,000 hours to Ontario-based charities and organizations such as The Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation, Tree Canada, Canadian Red Cross and Free The Children. Notably, the TELUS team will contribute more than $7 million to local, grassroots community projects in 2012.

"At TELUS, we have a fundamental belief that by supporting one another, we build a stronger foundation," said Mr. Natale. "From it, better businesses are built, and more importantly, stronger communities are created. We take our work in communities across Ontario seriously, bringing the same innovation and commitment to our charitable giving and volunteer work as we do to every other facet of our business. 'We give where we live' isn't just a slogan for our team. It's an authentic expression of our caring attitude and approach."

TELUS' $650 million investment will:

• Extend and expand TELUS' fourth generation network coverage to more than 95 per cent of people in Ontario. This year, TELUS will extend 4G LTE service to the National Capital Region, Barrie, Windsor, Muskoka, Niagara area and Kingston with more to come over the next few years if TELUS is able to secure necessary wireless spectrum through Industry Canada's upcoming spectrum auctions. 4G LTE is the most advanced, fastest wireless technology available in the world today.
• Continue to improve delivery of drug claims services through the company's healthcare technology. In May, TELUS earned a two-year contract extension with Ontario Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care for the operation of the Health Network System, which enables pharmacies to submit drug benefit claims electronically. The extension recognizes TELUS' excellence in on-line and real time drug claims adjudication under the Ontario Public Drug Programs. TELUS' healthcare solutions enable the processing of drug claims under the OPDP, the largest, real-time online transaction processing system in the Ontario government The system settles about 125 million online real-time transactions per year from the approximately 2.2 million Ontarians using Ontario Drug Benefit claims programs.
• Support unique community fundraising projects in Ontario. Similar programs in 2011 raised $250,000 for Junior Achievement of Canada towards a new national award for Canadian youth and $80,000 for the Canadian Beast Cancer Foundation - Ontario Region to fund clinical fellowships in breast cancer research.

The capital investment disclosed in this release is consistent with TELUS' overall capital expenditure target for 2012.

About TELUS

TELUS (TSX: T, T.A; NYSE: TU) is a leading national telecommunications company in Canada, with $10.5 billion of annual revenue and 12.7 million customer connections including 7.4 million wireless subscribers, 3.5 million wireline network access lines and 1.3 million Internet subscribers and more than 550,000 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 $260 million to charitable and not-for-profit organizations and volunteered 4.2 million hours of service to local communities since 2000. Eleven 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 to receive this prestigious international recognition.

For more information about TELUS, please visit telus.com.

Forward looking statement:
This news release contains statements about expected future events of TELUS that are forward-looking. By their nature, forward-looking statements require the Company to make assumptions and predictions and are subject to inherent risks and uncertainties. There is significant risk that the forward-looking statements will not prove to be accurate. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements as a number of factors could cause actual future events to differ materially from that expressed in the forward-looking statements. Except as required by law, TELUS disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise forward-looking statements.

Elisabeth Napolano
TELUS Media Relations
[phone]
Elis[email protected]