TELUS’ commitment to upgrading its network from copper to PureFibre, synonymous with lightning-fast speeds and unparalleled reliability, continues to enable significant but lesser-known environmental benefits, contributing to Canada's ambitious net-zero targets and helping create a more sustainable future.
TELUS PureFibre offers symmetrical upload and download speeds of up to 940 Mbps, providing enhanced connectivity for seamless streaming, gaming, and video conferencing. Additionally, PureFibre's advanced technology enables enhanced support for multiple connected devices, enabling households to effortlessly handle bandwidth-intensive tasks simultaneously.
Reducing Greenhouse Gas Emissions
Early strategic investment in the award-winning TELUS PureFibre has positioned the telco as a global leader in copper retirement and enabled the significant reduction of over 7,400 tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions since 2018— equivalent to removing over 1,600 gas-powered cars from the roads for one year. This is attributed to the decommissioning of thousands of copper devices and the telco’s copper retirement program, where they have recycled or repurposed more than 3,600 tonnes of copper, offsetting the need to mine new copper sources.
“Copper plays a vital role in Canada's electrification strategy, supporting the transmission and distribution network, as well as renewable technologies. By strategically repurposing copper, TELUS is directly contributing to the country's electrification goals and building a circular economy around this valuable resource. Our proactive metal recycling initiative sets the standard for an industrial-scale recycling program, further solidifying TELUS' leadership in sustainability,” said Tony Geheran, Chief Operations Officer at TELUS.
Since 2018, TELUS has embarked on a mission to transition residential customers from copper to PureFibre, and has effectively migrated over half a million customers to date. By the end of 2023, TELUS had successfully transitioned 98% of eligible customers, with 14 key areas across BC and AB now completely free of copper infrastructure. This paves the way for the many advantages of PureFibre, such as faster speeds and greater resilience to extreme weather conditions, ensuring that TELUS' network remains operational even during severe weather emergencies.
At up to 85% more energy-efficient than copper, TELUS PureFibre is Canada's most sustainable internet technology. This energy efficiency has reduced network repair activity and technician visits by two-thirds, resulting in fewer tailpipe emissions from its fleet.