Telus Buys 15 MHz Of AWS-3 Spectrum In Canada For $1.5 Bln.

(RTTNews) - Canadian telecommunications services provider Telus Corp (TU, T.TO) on Friday said it has purchased 15 MHz of AWS-3 spectrum in Canada for $1.5 billion at a recent auction.

The company said the licenses complement the 16.1 MHz of national AWS spectrum it purchased in 2008, which now forms the bulwark of its wireless network.

"We are very pleased to secure such high quality spectrum across the country, and to have won 75 per cent of the spectrum available to us in this auction," said CEO Joe Natal in a statement.

Telus said the AWS-3 spectrum is well-suited for delivering both coverage and added capacity in urban and rural environments, and expects to incorporate it into its existing network. This would enhance its ability to bring new devices to the market and deliver economies of scale on wireless infrastructure investments, the company said.

The company has invested $3.8 billion in spectrum-related costs since the 2008 AWS auction, and has invested more than $32 billion in technology across the country since 2000.

Telus has been ramping up its customer base. Last year it added 357,000 postpaid wireless customers, and smartphone users now represent 81 per cent of its base.