The IT Nerd

TELUS has announced that six deserving Canadian businesses from across the country were each awarded a $200K grand prize package as part of the fifth annual TELUS #StandWithOwners program.

The following businesses were recognized for demonstrating their exceptional leadership, tangible impact on their communities, use of technology to drive innovation and their proven track record of growth:

• Blume, North Vancouver, BC, is dedicated to creating a kinder wellness world through superfood rituals.Founded by Karen Danudjaja, the company started selling in local coffee shops in Vancouver and has now expanded to over 4,000 retailers across Canada and the US. Their products find the perfect balance of function and taste as they look to build accessible rituals that fill your cup literally and figuratively.

• Happly Ai, Montreal, QC: Cofounder Thierry Lindor is using AI for good, leveraging their intuitive platform and technology to help businesses and nonprofits match and secure funding tailored to their needs. With over 100,000 users, the platform has unlocked nearly $70M in funding, transforming how enterprises and organizations access economic opportunities.

• Kidcrew Medical, Toronto ON: Revolutionizing pediatric healthcare, Kidcrew Medical combines primary, specialized, and allied health services under one roof. Founded by Dr. Dina Kulik, the clinic uses innovative technology and data analytics to serve 100,000 patients, streamlining care for improved patient outcomes across its growing number of locations
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• Legends Haul, Vancouver BC: Focusing on sustainability and continuous innovation, Legends Haul has made a significant impact on the local food ecosystem in Vancouver. Jill and Craig Sheridan launched the business and grew it into a leader in food distribution and manufacturing, with their own house brands and a 30,000-square-foot distribution facility.
  
• Stoko, Vancouver BC: Originating from his personal experience with an injury sustained on Grouse Mountain in North Vancouver, Stoko founder Zack Eberwein set out to redefine expectations for knee braces by creating revolutionary medical-grade Supportive Apparel: the world’s only all-in-one knee brace and compression tight designed to help people get active again and stay active for as long as possible.
  
• ZoRaw Chocolates: With a focus on societal wellness, ZoRaw Chocolates was founded by Gigi Gill, who along with her partner Tanveer, developed the world’s first protein-fortified, fiber-rich, and sugar-free chocolate bars. Through an innovative production process, the company can produce 30,000 chocolate bars a day, distributing to over 3,000 stores across Canada and the US.

This year’s contest saw record engagement, with the winners being selected out of thousands of applicants based on the strength of their submissions and their entrepreneurial spirit. Since 2020, TELUS has invested $5 million through the #StandWithOwners program, providing essential funding, advertising and technology to help businesses thrive.

TELUS is has announced a collaboration with Photonic Inc., a pioneering BC-based company, to accelerate the development of next-generation quantum communications in Canada. TELUS will provide Photonic dedicated access to its advanced fibre-optic network, enabling the testing of groundbreaking quantum technologies and emerging solutions that promise to reshape Canada’s digital landscape, improve productivity and drive economic growth.

Over the past several years, quantum technology has moved beyond academic research and is entering the commercial realm, with companies like Photonic leading the charge. The collaboration with TELUS provides a path for industries such as finance, security and logistics to prepare for a quantum-secure future. With TELUS’ infrastructure enabling the testing of real-world applications, Photonic is helping accelerate the commercialization of quantum technologies, set to reshape how industries approach computing and secure communication, both in Canada and worldwide.

As part of this collaboration, TELUS is providing Photonic access to a 30-kilometre dedicated fibre network in British Columbia – configured to test increasingly complex quantum networking that leverage quantum encryption for ultra-secure, tamper-evident transfer of information over long distances. This state-of-the-art infrastructure will enable Photonic to advance critical capabilities in quantum computing (solving complex problems beyond the reach of today’s computers), quantum networking, and quantum key distribution (using quantum signals to create secure encryption) – technologies crucial for the future of digital security and innovation. 

This effort marks a major milestone for both companies as they work to lay the foundation for a quantum internet. The dedicated fibre network is connected to TELUS’ national infrastructure, offering potential for broader, nationwide testing and marking the first time a Canadian startup has been granted access to a major telecom operator’s network for the purpose of developing quantum communication capabilities. It follows impressive milestones recently achieved by Photonic,including a successful demonstration of entanglement distribution between independent systems in a commercial setting (entanglement allows particles to share quantum information across distances), an essential component of scaling quantum networks.

Quantum technology holds the potential to solve some of the world’s most complex computation problems, ranging from materials development to climate-friendly catalyst development. However, it also presents new challenges, including the ability to break existing encryption methods within the next decade. This collaboration between TELUS and Photonic helps position Canada as a global leader in the quantum race, ensuring everyday Canadians and businesses are prepared for a quantum-secure future. 

TELUS is celebrating the 10-year anniversary of TELUS originals and a decade of empowering independent Canadian and Indigenous filmmakers creating compelling, social-purpose driven documentaries and docuseries that inspire change and connect communities. Since 2014, TELUS originals has invested more than $27 million, bringing over 350 projects to screens across Canada and highlighting the diverse stories of British Columbia and Alberta. Viewers can watch these powerful TELUS original films on Optik TV channel 8, via TELUS Stream+ and for free at watch.telusoriginals.com. 

This fall alone, 10 TELUS original films, including Ari’s Theme, The Chef and the Daruma, Curl Power and Iniskim – Return of the Buffalo, were selected by top-tier Western Canadian film festivals in Vancouver, Calgary and Edmonton, underscoring the positive impact of the program for Canadian storytellers, local communities and the country’s film industry at large.

To celebrate the 10-year anniversary of TELUS originals, viewers are invited to explore the diverse range of new TELUS originals content including Aitamaako’tamisskapi Natosi: Before the Sun, The Interceptors, and Handle With Care: The Legend of the Notic Streetball Crew available on TELUS Optik TV channel 8, via Stream+ and online at watch.telusoriginals.com. 

For more information about TELUS originals, visit watch.telusoriginals.com. 

For most people in Ontario and Quebec, if you wanted to get an Internet connection that is end to end fibre as opposed to fibre to some box close to your home and coax copper cable the rest of the way, there was only one option. Bell. But that might be changing. In an odd move, and I say that because it wasn’t put out in any press release that I can find, TELUS is apparently expanding their Pure Fibre offering to Ontario and Quebec. If you go to this link and you live in either Ontario or Quebec, you will see this:

Now my first thoughts were as follows:

• How much does this cost?
• Are they setting up their own infrastructure or are they using Bell’s infrastructure seeing as TELUS and Bell already share cell towers in various parts of Canada.

Answering the first question likely points towards what the answer might be for the second one. Here’s how much it costs:

So if you bundle Internet with getting access to a number of streaming services, it’s $109/month. But if you bundle up Internet with TELUS Mobility, it’s $10 cheaper. I for one would be interested in what the price is for those who don’t want to bundle anything. The fine print can help you with that.

So the regular price is $130 a month. Honestly that isn’t a good deal. Distributel which is a Bell company will serve up a 1GB connection to your home for just under $70 a month. Now some of you will say that TELUS is offering a 1.5Gbps connection. My response to that is that it doesn’t matter. As I said here, nobody needs more than 500 Mbps into their home as nobody can fully leverage that connection speed.

That brings me to the question of whether TELUS is rolling out its own infrastructure to support their Internet ambitions, or are they leveraging Bell’s infrastructure. I’m thinking that it’s the latter because if TELUS had its own infrastructure, they would price their offering to try and steal customers from Bell. That’s not happening here as their pricing is a bit higher than other companies that resell Bell’s services. For example Teksavvy who have this price for service to my address:

So is TELUS Pure Fibre an option for those who want Internet access via end to end fibre. I suppose it is. But Bell is going to be the cheapest option because they have their own infrastructure. Though you may have to deal with their rather problematic customer service to save some cash for a year or two until they hike the price on you. If you’re a Bell customer, this isn’t a better option if you have had your promo pricing expire and you can find lower prices elsewhere. Distributel as illustrated above is an example of that. What is a real alternative to Bell that gets you fibre is Beanfield as they do have their own infrastructure unlike TELUS. But only if you’re in an area that they serve. I say that because I have seen examples where Bell is hyper aggressive in terms of their pricing if Beanfield is an option for customers.

What this continues to illustrate is that there still is a need to have more players with their own infrastructure to create more competition in the telco landscape. Because while this move into Ontario and Quebec is mildly interesting, it doesn’t move the needle in terms of lower telco prices for Canadians.

TELUS is launching SmartEnergy, a global-first solution that helps customers save money on their energy bills and reduce their environmental footprint, all through one simple app with incredible incentives on smart devices. By connecting compatible smart devices like thermostats and plugs to TELUS’ intuitive SmartHome+ app, subscribers can:

• Save up to 15 per cent on energy bills by automating home temperature settings, powering down unused devices, and creating personalized routines.
• Monitor home energy consumption with daily, weekly, monthly or yearly insights, including tips to maximize savings. 
• Participate in energy saving events to reduce strain on the energy grid during peak usage times by automatically powering down connected devices or temporarily adjusting the thermostat temperature, all while earning TELUS Rewards for contributing to a healthier planet. 

Looking ahead, TELUS will be connecting even more smart devices to the SmartHome+ app, including EV chargers and home solar, so that customers can unlock additional savings and manage all of their home automation, security and Internet services right from their fingertips. TELUS is also working with Canadian utilities to support grid demand response programs, which is critical during extreme cold or hot weather that drives up demand and can result in unplanned shortages or outages. 

To further benefit the environment, TELUS is planting four trees per year on behalf of each SmartEnergy subscriber. Over the past two decades, TELUS has planted 12.7 million trees and counting, and is committed to restoring our forests now, and for future generations. 

The service is now available to all Canadians outside of Quebec, where SmartEnergy is expected to launch in the near future. Canadians don’t need to be an existing TELUS customer to sign-up for SmartEnergy. Subscribe today for just $12 per month, plus for a limited time, new subscribers can receive a smart thermostat and two smart plugs for a one-time charge of $25, which represents more than $250 in savings.  

For more information about SmartEnergy and to subscribe, visit telus.com/smartenergy.

TELUS International, rebranding to TELUS Digital Experience (TELUS Digital) later in the third quarter, is at the forefront of digitally transforming customer journeys for media and communications companies, including designing, building and implementing asynchronous messaging capabilities as part of an end-to-end, AI-fueled experience. Asynchronous messaging provides flexible two-way interactions that enable customers to start, pause and pick up conversations when it is most convenient for them, while simultaneously giving media and communications providers greater flexibility to triage and diagnose customer queries to provide thoughtful, accurate and personalized responses. Developed by TELUS International, TELUS Expert Messaging is a cutting edge customer support tool seamlessly incorporated into the company’s existing My TELUS app. The new tool lets TELUS customers access human support whenever it is most convenient for them, 24×7, by sending a message from their mobile device and receiving a notification when an expert has responded, often resolving their inquiry in a single message. The flexible and convenient asynchronous chat feature eliminates wait times associated with traditional phone and live chat queues.

In order to protect against potential vulnerabilities and ensure a secure customer environment, asynchronous messaging systems must be built upon a strong foundation of data privacy and ethical standards. Incorporating Privacy by Design principles, and undergoing extensive risk mitigation testing are key to protecting user data and ensuring their ongoing security and trustworthiness.

Elevating TELUS’ premium digital experience above-the-line as a customer-first differentiator

A leading Canadian telecommunications provider and global technology company, TELUS, has partnered with its subsidiary TELUS International for nearly 20 years to support the ongoing evolution of its customer and employee experiences and operations, to become a fully digital and cloud-native organization.

TELUS Expert Messaging was developed using Engage by Local Measure, an intelligent, pre-built cloud contact center platform built on Amazon Web Services (AWS), to assist agents and provide more personalized omnichannel customer interactions. Engage integrates with Amazon Connect to seamlessly combine customer communications, Amazon Bedrock and machine learning into a single interface. Engage assists agents and improves customer interactions, providing a personalized omnichannel experience.

TELUS Expert Messaging is available in English, with a French version set to launch on MyTELUS app in the fourth quarter.

Learn how TELUS International  and WillowTree, a TELUS International Company, can help your business elevate its customer experience with comprehensive AI solutions and expert consulting, and reduce its cost to serve by improving operational efficiencies at every stage of the customer journey. Reach out today to learn more and unlock the potential of Fuel iX for all industries and inquire specifically about accelerators available to media and communications brands to further expedite CX deployments.

TELUS Esports Series powered by TELUS Arena, a nationwide gaming platform that supports and empowers esport players, returns this fall. In partnership with Android, TELUS Esports Series is opening the tournament to gamers across North America for the first time, featuring Apex Legends, Rocket League, and Valorant. Canadian and American gamers aged 15 and up can register and qualify at www.telus.com/tes4 by September 22 at 11:59 p.m. EST to play for a chance to win from a $50,000CAD cash prize pool.

Since the first TELUS Esports Series in 2021, TELUS has been dedicated to creating products, services, and premier gaming events that provide Canadians meaningful opportunities to participate in organized esports. With its leading PureFibre Internet solutions to best-in-class award-winning 5G mobile networks, TELUS has become the preferred choice for Canadian gamers.

In addition to the tournament, TELUS is extending its digital literacy program, TELUS Wise™, to all gamers in Canada, offering online tips and tricks to foster healthy gaming habits. Players on TELUS’ PureFibre Internet network will also benefit from low latency and the fastest upload and download speeds, for the most responsive gaming experience.

Registration for TELUS Esports Series is now open to all players in Canada and the United States aged 15 and up. Players of all skill levels from casual gamers to seasoned professionals can join this inclusive gaming experience. To sign up for the tournament and learn more about prizing, visit www.telus.com/tes4.

TELUS is bringing the fastest PureFibre home internet to Western Canada with the introduction of its PureFibre 5 Gigabit Internet plan, a substantial leap forward in internet technology, offering customers the fastest symmetrical download and upload speeds. As the only 100 per cent pure fibre-to-the-home provider in Western Canada, TELUS continues to push the envelope, delivering unparalleled Internet speeds and sustainable, reliable technology to customers in Alberta and British Columbia. The PureFibre 5 Gigabit Internet plan includes next-generation, award-winning Wi-Fi 6E hardware, allowing individuals and families to seamlessly enjoy gaming, web surfing, video calling, working and learning from home, and streaming in 4K.

TELUS is testing 25 Gigabit PON access technology with Nokia to deliver cutting-edge connectivity solutions. This new speed tier will allow TELUS to meet future high-bandwidth demands for connected homes and applications such as augmented reality (AR), virtual reality (VR), extended reality (XR), the Metaverse, cloud computing and storage, head-mounted displays (HMDs), Internet of Things (IoT) devices, and immersive collaboration.  By leveraging existing fibre optic infrastructure, TELUS can deliver this advanced technology without needing to build a new network, and is set to increase speeds beyond 5 Gigabit, delivering up to 25 Gigabits to customers in the next few years.

The PureFibre 5 Gigabit Internet starts from $145 per month on a two year plan. For more information on the internet plan and eligibility, visit www.telus.com/5Gig.

TELUS is proud to announce a major milestone in charitable giving in Canada, with TELUS’ Community Board program reaching $100 million in donations to local charities across the country. Funded by the TELUS Friendly Future Foundation, TELUS’ Canadian Community Boards are composed of local business and community leaders and are empowered to make decisions about where charitable grants are best allocated based on need and maximum impact. As youth-serving organizations struggle to keep up with the demand for their services, and with the number of Canadians making charitable donations on the decline for the eleventh consecutive year, TELUS Community Board grants have remained an important source of funding for grassroots charities nationwide for over two decades. Each year, over $6 million in grants, made possible by TELUS Friendly Future Foundation, are contributed to support grassroots community-based health and education programs that help Canadian youth and their families thrive.

With 13 Community Boards across Canada, TELUS is continuing to expand into new communities, providing even more youth with new opportunities that help facilitate life-changing connections, nurture a sense of belonging, and empower them to thrive. Over the past two years alone, TELUS has expanded the geographical area of eight of its Community Boards including, Interior and Northern B.C., Vancouver and Coastal, Manitoba and Saskatchewan, Edmonton and Northern Alberta, Calgary and Southern Alberta, Ottawa and Eastern Ontario, Barrie and Central Ontario, and Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area.

To apply for a TELUS Community Board grant, organizations must be a Canadian registered charity and meet the eligibility funding criteria requirements, including support for youth, up to age 29, experiencing health or education barriers that inhibit their ability to reach their full potential. With the next round of funding opening on August 27 and closing October 8, local charities are encouraged to visit friendlyfuture.com/communityboards to learn more and submit an application.

Individuals and organizations across Canada are invited to partner with TELUS and TELUS Friendly Future Foundation in support of grassroots charities nationwide and our efforts to help address the ongoing and urgent needs facing underserved youth. Visit friendlyfuture.com/donate to give.

Magnite today announced TELUS has selected Magnite’s SpringServe ad server and Magnite Streaming SSP as its preferred ad technology solutions in Canada. TELUS will utilize Magnite’s ad server for its Free Ad-Supported TV (FAST) and online video advertising inventory.

The partnership comes at a time when the TV industry is undergoing a seismic shift, with consumers increasingly watchingTV content through ad-supported streaming. According to research conducted by Magnite, 74% of Canadian consumers are watching streaming TV compared to only 51% who are watching paid traditional TV. Since rolling out FAST channels to TELUS TV+ customers in April, TELUS has enabled additional TV offerings at no cost to customers. The FAST channels, including TIME, Tastemade, The Washington Post, and more, also provide a unique opportunity for advertisers and agencies to elevate their digital strategies and connect with TV audiences.

Magnite’s SpringServe ad serving platform is built for connected TV (CTV) and video advertising, providing TELUS with better insight, transparency, and control to deliver more optimal video ad experiences. Magnite’s Streaming SSP enables TELUS to manage and monetize its CTV inventory with tools specifically designed to support premium, long-form video, and high-quality viewing experiences. 

For more information about TELUS, visit www.telus.com and Magnite at www.magnite.com.