Overview of Telus
Telus is Canada's third-largest integrated operator, based in Vancouver. It sells mobile, fixed voice, internet, television, security, and health technology. Mobile churn has stayed the lowest in the industry. For IoT it runs TELUS Control Centre, the only carrier connection-management platform in Canada, built on Jasper and Cisco, covering connectivity and device management.
In 2024 Telus added 1.216 million mobile and fixed customers, the third year in a row above one million. Mobile device connections reached 13.9 million, up 7.4% year on year. 5G covers more than 87% of Canada's population. Telus was the first in Canada to put 5G vRAN and Open RAN into commercial service.
Telus facts
- Founded: 1990, from BC Tel and Alberta Government Telephones
- Headquarters: Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
- Mobile users: About 10.15 million (2024)
- Connected devices: About 3.73 million, including M2M and tablets
- Internet users: About 2.76 million
- 5G coverage: More than 87% of Canada's population
- Annual revenue: About CAD 20.1 billion (2024)
- Listings: TSX: T; NYSE: TU
Development History and Milestones
Telus's history can be traced back to Alberta Government Telephones established in 1906 and BC Tel in British Columbia. In the 1990s, the two companies merged to form Telus, becoming the leading telecommunications operator in western Canada. After the planned merger with BCE failed in 1999, Telus independently developed its mobile and fixed-line businesses. In the 2000s, Telus acquired operators like Clearnet to expand wireless coverage.
In the 2010s, Telus heavily invested in LTE and fiber networks, and expanded into vertical sectors such as health technology (Telus Health) and agricultural technology (Telus Agriculture). In 2018, it launched the TELUS Control Centre IoT platform, becoming the first Canadian operator to offer an enterprise-level connectivity management platform. In 2024, Telus launched Canada's first 5G vRAN and Open RAN commercial network, promoting network architecture openness. The company has won J.D. Power customer satisfaction awards for several consecutive years, with a mobile churn rate of 1.20%, the best in the industry.
Core Technical Capabilities
TELUS Control Centre
Canada's only carrier-operated IoT connection management platform, supporting SIM lifecycle, alarms, and API integration
5G Open RAN
Canada's first commercial deployment of 5G vRAN and Open RAN, promoting network openness
Fiber
Direct fiber connections to over 3.4 million buildings, supporting high bandwidth needs for homes and businesses
Health and agricultural technology
Telus Health and Telus Agriculture expand IoT vertical applications in healthcare and agriculture
Network standards and coverage
| Technology | Coverage | Typical use | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4G LTE | Nationwide coverage | Mainstream mobile and IoT | Primary network |
| LTE-M / NB-IoT | Main areas | Low-power IoT | Commercial deployment |
| 5G NR | Over 87% of the population | High-speed broadband, industrial IoT | vRAN/Open RAN |
TELUS Control Centre IoT Platform
TELUS Control Centre is Telus's enterprise IoT platform, built on Cisco Jasper, and it is the only one of its kind run by a Canadian carrier. It covers the SIM lifecycle, live status, usage alerts, automated rules, roaming in more than one country, reports, and an API. A company can run from thousands to millions of devices on it, including links to AWS and Azure. The uses named here are connected vehicles, industrial IoT, smart metering, and asset tracking.
IoT uses
Connected Vehicles
- In-vehicle OBD and remote diagnostics
- Fleet management and dispatch
- Insurance telematics
- EV charging networks
Manufacturing
- A 5G private network in a factory
- Machine vision and predictive maintenance
- AGV and robot connectivity
- Industrial AR/VR
Smart Agriculture
- Telus Agriculture
- Field sensors and irrigation
- Livestock tracking
- Supply-chain traceability
Healthcare
- Remote monitoring from Telus Health
- Medical device connectivity
- Wearable health monitoring
- Hospital asset tracking
Competitive Advantages
- Control Centre: The only carrier-run enterprise connection platform in Canada
- Churn: Mobile churn of 1.20%, the lowest in the industry
- Open RAN: Canada's first commercial 5G vRAN and Open RAN
- Verticals: Healthcare and agriculture IoT, through Telus Health and Telus Agriculture
- Fiber: Fiber into more than 3.4 million buildings
Financial Performance
In 2024 Telus revenue was CAD 20.139 billion, up 0.7%. Net profit was CAD 938 million, up 8.2%. Free cash flow was CAD 2 billion, up 12%. The year added 1.216 million customers, including 328,000 in the fourth quarter. Connected devices reached 3.73 million, up 615,000 year on year.