British Columbia is one of the most connected jurisdictions in North America.
- 69% of British Columbians accessed the internet from home in 2005
- 90% of British Columbians accessing the internet from home in 2005 did so using a high speed connection
Telecommunications and Internet links do more than enhance personal communication, they also:
- aid in the delivery of new educational, health care and other services,
- encourage revitalization of rural communities by allowing the people living in those communities to participate in the global knowledged based economy.
Increasingly, these services must be provided over high speed connections to operate effectively and have real impact.
In 2001, the Government of B.C. formed the Premier's Technology Council (PTC) to examine technology-related issues facing British Columbians. The PTC identified 366 communities that were a priority for high speed internet access. For more information about the PTC, visit the Province of British Columbia's website (www.gov.bc.ca) and follow links to the PTC website.
Already, 89 per cent of B.C.'s citizens live in communities that are connected to high-speed internet, yet citizens in 151 communities in British Columbia are without. 76 of these remote communities are First Nations or communities in proximity to First Nations. These unconnected communities are small and there is little business rationale for small commercial carriers to make the investment required to bring high-speed services to these communities.
In 2003 the government formed Network BC, with a mandate to bridge the digital divide and connect B.C. communities. TELUS has worked closely with Network BC to help fulfill that mandate.
For more information on Network BC, visit www.network.gov.bc.ca/
TELUS and Government of BC Partnership
Click here to launch the Connecting Communities presentation
On April 7, 2005, the Government of BC, TELUS, and local health regions, schools and crown corporations delivered the first of its kind agreement to bridge the digital by connecting communities, and creating new health care, education, and economic development opportunities in the province.
The agreement is the first of its kind in North America. TELUS, a global telecommunications leader, has fully funded this investment. No other province across the country has seen the same commitment from a telecommunications company. It reflects TELUS' commitment to the sustained prosperity of British Columbia.
For more information, please contact, 1-866-331-2288 (toll free).
