Telus has received the required permits to deploy a buried submarine cable between Sept-Îles and the Gaspé Peninsula, a major initiative announced in 2020. The licenses had been consulted with the indigenous communities, and now Telus can deploy the submarine cable, which is set to begin this fall.
The cable will improve the reliability of telecommunication services on the North Shore and Lower North Shore. Additionally, if there are any issues in the data transport network along Route 138 between Baie-Comeau and Sept-Îles, the underwater cable will ensure that these communities don’t lose their internet, TV, wireline, or wireless services.
This project comes from Telus’ efforts to bridge the digital divide in rural communities—the B.C.-based national telecom plans to invest $70 billion in Canada by 2029. Telus will put that investment toward infrastructure development, business expansion and spectrum license acquisition.
The carrier previously spent billions to expand its wireless network connectivity in Ontario, Quebec, Alberta, and B.C. It also partnered with Canadian mobile satellite operator Terrestar in 2023 to bring satellite connectivity to its network.
Telus isn’t the only provider working to connect more people. Rogers also recently announced it laid an undersea cable to improve the connection for B.C.’s Southern Gulf Islands. The company also just launched a beta of its Starlink-powered satellite-to-mobile service. Meanwhile, Bell threatened to cut fibre investments if the CRTC didn’t walk back rules allowing internet service providers (ISPs) to resell its fibre network through the regulated wholesale program. The CRTC kept the rules in place, including a controversial decision to allow incumbent players like Telus to use the wholesale program.
Source: Telus
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