 | A request that this article title be changed toTelus Communications isunder discussion. Pleasedo not move this article until the discussion is closed. |
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 Telus previous headquarters inBurnaby | |
| Company type | Subsidiary |
|---|---|
| Industry | |
| Founded | 1990; 35 years ago (1990) (inEdmonton, Alberta, Canada)[1] |
| Headquarters | Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada |
Key people |
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| Products |
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| Revenue |  CA$20.00 billion (2023) |
| CA$2.8 billion (2018) | |
| CA$1.75 billion (2019) | |
Number of employees | 106,400 (2024) |
| Parent | Telus Corporation[2]: 47 |
| Divisions |
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| Subsidiaries | |
| ASN | |
| Website | www |
Telus Communications Inc. (TCI) is the wholly owned principal subsidiary ofTelus Corporation,[2]: 47 a Canadian nationaltelecommunications company that provides a wide range of telecommunications products and services includinginternet access, voice, entertainment, healthcare, video, smart home automation andIPTV television. The company is based in theVancouver, British Columbia, area; it was originally based inEdmonton, Alberta, before its merger withBC Tel in 1999. Telus'wireless division,Telus Mobility, offersUMTS- andLTE-basedmobile phone networks. Telus is theincumbent local exchange carrier in British Columbia and Alberta. Its primary competitors areRogers Communications andBell Canada. Telus is a member of theBritish Columbia Technology Industry Association.
Telus Corporation was formed in 1990 by the government ofAlberta as aholding company to facilitate theprivatization ofAlberta Government Telephones (AGT), acrown corporation that provided telephone service to most of Alberta outside ofEdmonton.[3][4][5] In 1995, it acquired Edmonton Telephones Corporation (EdTel), the main telephone provider for Edmonton itself, from the city of Edmonton[6] making Telus the sole provider of telephone service in Alberta. In 1996, Telus was introduced to the public as the consumer brand, replacing both AGT and EdTel.[3][7]
In 1998, Telus andBC Tel announced a proposed merger.[8] The proposed merged company, BCT.Telus Communications Inc., was incorporated separately in British Columbia, with headquarters at BC Tel's office inBurnaby. After shareholder approval BCT.Telus acquired BC Tel and Telus; the merger was completed in 1999. In 2000 the combined BCT.Telus changed named back to Telus Corporation, and the BC Tel brand was retired.[3][9] The merger created Canada's second largest telecom company, with 22% of market share compared toBell Canada's 42%.[9][10][11] American companyGTE had held a slight majority of ownership in BC Tel prior to the merger with Telus, and retained a 26.7% share of the post-merger company.
Large swaths of ruralQuebec, mainly theGaspé Peninsula and the north shore, were served from 1927 by an entity known as Corporation de Téléphone et de Pouvoir de Québec, and in 1955, this became known as Québec Téléphone. In 1966, the Anglo-Canadian Telephone Company, a subsidiary of General Telephone and Electronics of Stamford, Connecticut (later GTE), became a majority shareholder in Québec Téléphone. In 1997, Groupe QuébecTel was established to own Québec Téléphone. GTE sold its interests in Québec Téléphone to Telus in August 2000, which renamed it Telus Québec on April 2, 2001.
GTE was itself acquired byBell Atlantic in 2000, and the company changed its name toVerizon Communications. Verizon inherited GTE's share of Telus, but in late 2004 sold its remaining 20.5% stake. This was so that Verizon could focus more on its own services.[12]
In October 2019, Telus Corp announced it would buy home security providerADT Inc.'s Canadian operations forCA$700 million (US$527.27 million).[13][14]
In January 2022, Telus Communications acquiredLondon-based ISP Start.ca. In June 2022, Telus Communications acquired Altima Telecom.[15]
Telus Corporation is aconglomerate, and its wholly owned principal subsidiary is Telus Communications Inc (TCI), according to the 2010 Telus annual report.[2]
After the Telus-BCTel merger, unionized employees voted to certify theTelecommunications Workers Union (TWU) as the sole bargaining agent for the expanded company's workforce. The TWU had previously been the union representing BCTel employees – it replaced theInternational Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) in Alberta. A labour dispute between Telus and the TWU began after the previous contract, negotiated with BCTel before the Telus merger, expired at the end of 2000. After Telus made its final offer to the TWU it informed the union of its intention to bring an end to the dispute by unilaterally implementing its April 2005 offer to employees inAlberta andBritish Columbia. The next day the union went on strike in British Columbia while Telus locked out its unionized workers in Alberta, although (as is common in disputes where an employer attempts to unilaterally implement a new contract) the union consistently referred to the dispute as a "lockout."
On July 25, 2005, Telus blocked its Internet subscribers from accessing a website supporting striking union members. The company expressed concerns over content on the site, saying it identified employees crossing picket lines and encouraged disruptive behaviour,[16] while the union alleged it amounted to censorship.[16][17] TheBritish Columbia Civil Liberties Association issued an official objection to the unilateral blocking on July 26, stating "Telus is leveraging its power as a telecommunications service provider to censor a specific group, shut down debate and limit the messages conveyed about the current labour dispute".[18] An Alberta court injunction ordered the blocked website, Voices For Change, to remove postings of "Telus employee photos" and other "intimidating or threatening material". The site owner agreed to comply and Telus unblocked the website.[19] Telus and the TWU ratified a tentative agreement on November 18, 2005, ending the dispute.[20]
In April 2011,Telus Mobility relaunched the Clearnet brand as a limited market trial inKelowna, British Columbia, andRed Deer, Alberta. The company again closed to new business in June 2012.
In February 2013, Telus exchanged all non-voting shares into common shares on a one-for-one basis.[21]
In October 2013, Telus acquired minor mobile phone provider Public Mobile[22] and relaunched it in 2015 as a "value brand"MVNO on the Telus network.[23]
In October 2008, Telus was named one ofBritish Columbia's Top Employers by Mediacorp Canada Inc., which was announced byThe Vancouver Sun,The Province and the VictoriaTimes-Colonist.[24]
The company has been accused of taking actions to hinder the emergence of competition in Canadian telecommunications.[25][26] This, along with other industry concerns, has led to consumer[27] and industry[28] pressure to reform the regulatory system governing the Canadian telecommunications industry.[29][30][31]
Telus currently sponsors theTelus Spark Science Centre inCalgary,Telus World of Science in Edmonton andScience World inVancouver. Telus funds the annualKokaneeCrankworx freeridemountain bike and World Ski & Snowboard festivals, both held inWhistler, British Columbia.
Telus was a sponsor and marketing partner ofHockey Canada since 2004 and the title sponsor of Canada's national midget hockey championship, theTelus Cup, since 2005.[32] Telus has been a sponsor ofRogers Sportsnet's regional broadcasts ofCalgary Flames andEdmonton Oilers games. Telus has been the title sponsor of theTelus Skins Game in addition to several tournaments on theCanadian Tour, including theTelus Open,Telus Calgary Open,Telus Edmonton Open and theTelus Vancouver Open.
Telus is the namesake tenant in several office buildings, including TheTelus Convention Centre andTelus Sky in Calgary,Tour Telus inMontreal,Telus House in Edmonton,Telus Garden in Vancouver, the currently under construction Telus Ocean inVictoria,[33] andTelus Harbour inToronto.
Beginning in 2014, Telus began sponsoring Canada's largest nationwidetechnology education event:The HTML500.[34]
In November 2017, Telus announced it would take over as title sponsor for the Vancouver Santa Claus Parade, saving the parade from being cancelled.
Telus is also the sponsor for thePEPS multifunctional stadium ofUniversité Laval, inQuebec City. This 12,750-seat stadium is the home of theLaval Rouge et OrU Sports football team.
