2013-03-20

4G LTE offers wireless internet speeds two to three times faster than other technologies

Qualicum Beach, B.C. – TELUS has invested $100,000 to bring the world’s most advanced and fastest wireless technology to customers in Qualicum Beach, B.C. This expansion of TELUS’ 4G Long Term Evolution (LTE) network coverage means that even more customers on Vancouver Island can experience dramatically faster downloads when surfing the web, reading emails or getting the latest chart topping music.

TELUS rolled out 4G LTE to almost than 90 per cent of British Columbians in 2012 and plans to connect even more by the end of 2013.

“TELUS is committed to providing the best service to our customers, and that includes offering people in Qualicum Beach the fastest wireless technology available in the world today,” said Ray Lawson, TELUS general manager for Vancouver Island. “With a 4G LTE device like the BlackBerry Z10 or Samsung Galaxy S IIl, TELUS customers right here will have a mobile internet connection that is just as fast as the connection they experience at home. For the best possible wireless experience we’ve also recently launched our TELUS Network Experience app, which gives customers an easy way to report any network issues from their mobile device while on-the-go.”

Customers can download the TELUS Network Experience (TNE) application for free through app stores on 4G devices including Android, iPhone and BlackBerry smartphones. TNE will be available on BlackBerry Z10 devices in the coming months.

4G LTE is rapidly emerging as the new standard for wireless technology in the world, with most new handsets built to take advantage of its superior speed. TELUS customers can already experience the full capabilities of TELUS’ 4G LTE network with the popular BlackBerry Z10, Samsung Galaxy S III, Samsung Galaxy Note II, Samsung Rugby LTE, Samsung ATIV S, LG Optimus G, HTC One X+, Huawei E397 4G LTE Mobile Internet Key and Samsung Galaxy Tab 8.9 LTE. Consistent with TELUS’ clear and simple pricing approach, current rate plans will apply to all TELUS 4G LTE customers without premium charges.

TELUS’ 4G LTE network supports manufacturers’ top download speeds of up to 75 megabits per second (Mbps), with an expected average of 12 to 25 Mbps depending on signal strength. Using 4G LTE, TELUS customers will experience dramatically faster and seamless downloads when surfing the web, reading emails or getting the latest chart topping music. For example, downloading a 600 megabyte album with a 4G LTE-capable device will only take 3.5 to 7 minutes, while a 1.2GB HD movie from iTunes will be ready for viewing in just 7 to 14 minutes. Most importantly, TELUS customers will move seamlessly from 4G LTE to the existing 4G HSPA networks when roaming out of LTE supported areas, and will have no disruption to wireless service or downloading.

4G LTE is the latest evolution in TELUS’ wireless network technology rollout, building on the 2009 launch of its coast-to-coast 4G HSPA wireless network.

Today this network reaches more than 97 per cent of Canadians. Since 2000, TELUS has invested more than $30 billion to bring Canadians some of the most advanced wireless networks in the world. This investment is part of the $3 billion TELUS is investing in new infrastructure and facilities in B.C. until 2014.

Additionally, TELUS is putting customers first and embracing new ideas to make the TELUS experience even better. By listening to customers, TELUS has not only launched Canada’s first network experience mobile application to report network issues, it has also eliminated activation fees and dramatically simplified its entire fee schedule. This builds on a series of improvements where TELUS has also eliminated carrier 911 and system access fees on all its Clear and Simple rate plans; reduced bill shock with Flex Data Plans, Data Notifications and travel roaming packages; added Caller ID and Voicemail as standard on all TELUS rate plans; simplified device pricing with Anytime Upgrades; and revolutionized mobility contracts by introducing a Device Balance instead of a contract termination fee.

For more information on TELUS 4G LTE or to sign up for network coverage updates, please visit: telusmobility.com/4GLTE or check out our coverage map at: www.telusmobility.com/coverage.

About TELUS
TELUS (TSX: T, NYSE: TU) is a leading national telecommunications company in Canada, with $10.9 billion of annual revenue and more than 13.1 million customer connections, including 7.7 million wireless subscribers, 3.4 million wireline network access lines, 1.4 million Internet subscribers and 678,000 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 $300 million to charitable and not-for-profit organizations and volunteered 4.8 million hours of service to local communities since 2000. Fourteen TELUS Community Boards 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 statements
This news release contains forward looking statements regarding further LTE coverage expansion, LTE device availability and content library growth. 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, 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.

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For more information, please contact:

Shawn Hall
TELUS Media Relations
604-619-7913
shawn.hall@telus.com

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