OECD report confirms that Canadian wireless pricing compares extremely well internationally

Report highlights Canada's superior technology delivering better coverage, speed and overall client experience

VANCOUVER, July 11, 2013 /CNW/ - Today's OECD report on global wireless pricing once again confirms that Canadian wireless pricing is extremely competitive internationally and that Canadians have access to some of the best wireless networks in the world, thanks to enormous investment by TELUS and its competitors.

"When you consider that Canada's wireless subscribers, spread out over our vast and challenging geography, pay about the same prices as people in much more densely populated countries and yet have access to more national LTE networks than people in any other country - it really is remarkable," said Darren Entwistle, TELUS President & CEO. "TELUS alone has invested $100 billion in Canada since 2000 to make that a reality."

"A notable fact highlighted by this report is that Canadian telecommunications carriers invest more in technology and infrastructure than those just about anywhere else in the world," said Entwistle. "Indeed, Canada's investment in advanced technology is almost double the average for developed countries. I am tremendously proud of our Canadian talent that has expertly deployed this world-leading technology for the benefit of all Canadians."

"Report after report says the same thing - Canadians are heavy users of wireless services, our networks are amongst the very best in the world, device subsidies are generous, network investment is high, smartphone usage is world-leading, and pricing is extremely competitive," said Entwistle. "It all adds up to Canadians getting good value from their wireless service."

"Importantly, both the OECD report and the Wall Report issued earlier this month emphatically prove Canada has more competitive prices than the U.S. - the Wall Report finding U.S. prices average 43 per cent higher than Canadian prices, the OECD that US prices are about six per cent higher in the most relevant usage basket," he continued.

The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), an inter-governmental organization, publishes its report on communications infrastructure and services in its 34 member countries every second year. This year's report, the OECD Communications Outlook 2013, can be downloaded from the OECD website here: http://www.oecd.org/internet/broadband/communications-outlook.htm.

About TELUS
TELUS (TSX: T, NYSE: TU) is a leading national telecommunications company in Canada, with $11 billion of annual revenue and 13.2 million customer connections, including 7.7 million wireless subscribers, 3.4 million wireline network access lines, 1.4 million Internet subscribers and 712,000 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.

SOURCE: TELUS Corporation