TELUS Canada 4G & LTE Wireless Network Coverage Maps
TELUS’ powerful network, which shares cell phone towers with Bell Mobility, covers 99% of Canada’s total population, and over 18% of Canada’s geographical area. In addition to having the top coverage in Canada (they are tied with Bell), TELUS also has the fastest connectivity and most reliable service.
TELUS’ Networks
TELUS offers three different types of networks, with another debuting later on this year. These networks include:
- HSPA+: High Speed Packet Access+ has speedier upload and download times than 3G, but is not as fast as LTE.
- LTE: LTE (4G) is the standard network on which phones currently operate. It features faster upload and download speeds than HSPA+ networks.
- LTE-A: The LTE-Advanced network is relatively new and is currently the fastest in Canada. This network doesn’t cover nearly as much ground as HSPA+ or LTE and is mainly available in and around major cities.
TELUS Coverage
TELUS’ mobile network covers 18% of Canada and 28.8% of all Canadian provinces. These figures may seem low, but since the majority of Canada is unpopulated, TELUS’ coverage only needs to extend to populated areas. As such, TELUS has excellent coverage in and around major cities, such as Calgary, Vancouver, Winnipeg, Toronto, Ottawa, Montreal, Quebec City, and many more. Check out the chart below to see the breakdown of TELUS’ coverage by province/territory, as well as how their coverage compares to Bell’s and Rogers’.
While TELUS does cover the vast majority of people, it never hurts to be certain that you have coverage in your particular area. That’s where our coverage tool comes in handy.
| Province / Territory | TELUS | Bell | Rogers |
| Ontario | 23.7% | 23.7% | 20.23% |
| Quebec | 12.05% | 12.05% | 7.5% |
| British Columbia | 19.36% | 19.36% | 10.28% |
| Alberta | 69.11% | 69.11% | 60.61% |
| Manitoba | 19.4% | 19.4% | 19.19% |
| Saskatchewan | 53.27% | 53.27% | 21.97% |
| Nova Scotia | 97.17% | 97.17% | 70.89% |
| New Brunswick | 77% | 77% | 69.05% |
| Newfoundland and Labrador | 17.25% | 17.25% | 1.36% |
| Prince Edward Island | 99.95% | 99.95% | 99.31% |
| Northwest Territories | 3.28% | 3.28% | N/A |
| Nunavut | 0.27% | 0.27% | 0.022% |
| Yukon | 4.24% | 4.24% | N/A |
| Canada | 18.06% | 18.06% | 12% |
TELUS Coverage Abroad
TELUS partners with networks in the U.S. and elsewhere to provide you with great coverage while traveling. They offer some of the most versatile plans for traveling abroad. Some of them include:
- Easy Roam
- Roaming Passes
- Pay-Per-Use
Easy Roam
If you’re on a postpaid Peace of Mind or Simple Share plan, you more than likely already have Easy Roam. With Easy Roam, you can connect to a partner network in the U.S. or abroad, and you’ll have access to unlimited talk and text—along with your home data—for 24 hours. Roaming in the United States costs $8/day, while roaming internationally will set you back $12/day. The maximum amount of days you can be charged for roaming on one billing cycle is 15. After that, any additional days that you spend roaming are free.
Popular Plans With Easy Roam
Roaming Passes
Roaming Passes, which are exclusive to businesses, are valid for 30 days, and they give you unlimited talk and text and a predetermined amount of data while you’re traveling. A Roaming Pass will give you unlimited talk and text, as well as up to 1.5GB of data. If you’re traveling with your business and don’t have an Easy Roam plan, staying connected on a pay-per-use rate could get expensive. With a Roaming Pass, you’ll be paying for your talk, text, and data upfront so there are no surprises.
Pay-Per-Use
Pay-per-use roaming is perfect for people who just need to make a quick call or text while they’re out of Canada, but it’s not recommended for people who rely heavily on their phone while traveling.
TELUS Coverage Abroad vs. Bell and Rogers
Whether you have TELUS’ Easy Roam, Bell’s Roam Better, or Rogers’ Roam Like Home, you’ll be paying the same rate for roaming—$8/ day in the United States or $12/ day for international destinations. Going with TELUS or Rogers will ultimately cost you less if you’re planning on being out of the country for 15 days or longer, since TELUS and Rogers only charge you 15 days per billing cycle. After these 15 days pass, you can continue roaming to your heart’s content without being charged any additional fees by these carriers. Bell sets their maximum amount per billing cycle at 20 days, which means that roaming with Bell’s Roam Better may cost you a little extra depending on how long you’ll be out of the country.
TELUS Roaming Passes vs. Bell Travel Passes
If you aren’t on a qualifying phone plan and need a travel pass, you can only get one with TELUS or Bell since Rogers recently stopped selling Travel Packs. While TELUS’ Roaming Passes are generally more expensive, they do come with unlimited talk and text, which Bell’s Travel Passes don’t always include. TELUS also allots slightly more data in total; Bell’s travel pass with the highest amount of data includes 1GB, while TELUS’ has 1.5GB.
Pay-Per-Use Rates
TELUS’ talk rates are more expensive than Bell’s and Rogers’, but they balance this out by offering cheaper texting rates than Rogers and Bell. It should also be noted that Bell sometimes charges up to $0.25 to receive incoming messages, while TELUS and Rogers do not.
| Carrier | Talk Rate | Text Rate | Data Rate |
| TELUS | $1.50/min | $0.60/text | $5/MB |
| Bell | $1.45/min | $0.75/text | $6/MB |
| Rogers | $1.45/min | $0.75/text | $7.99/50MB |
Is a TELUS Plan Right For You?
Aside from having the widest-spanning and reliable network in the nation, there are plenty of reasons to choose TELUS. With a wide variety of both prepaid and postpaid plans, TELUS has something that works for everyone. The only downside, however, is that their plans can sometimes be more expensive than plans by competitors, such as Bell and Rogers. That said, TELUS carries all the latest and greatest phones, and they are the only top-tier cell phone provider in Canada that allows you to buy a phone without opting into a plan; however, you may have to pay more for a phone through TELUS than you would that same phone with a different carrier—this is because TELUS takes a portion of the profit.
Pros
- Robust network covers over 99% of Canadians
- Wide variety of phone plans, including shareable and unlimited
- Can buy a phone without buying a plan
- Plenty of roaming options are available
Cons
- Buying a phone outright from TELUS tends to be more expensive than buying one outright from other carriers
- Plans may cost more than plans with Bell or Rogers
Frequently Asked Questions
What frequency bands does TELUS use?
TELUS’ network uses the following frequency bands:
- 4G LTE and LTE Advanced:
- 2100 MHz downlink and 1700 MHz uplink (AWS)
- 1900 MHz
- 700 MHz
- 850 MHz
- HSPA: 850 MHz and 1900 MHz (UMTS)
Will my phone work on TELUS’ network if I didn’t buy it from them?
If you have a non-TELUS device and you are wondering if it will work on the TELUS network, run its IMEI through their convenient network compatibility tool and verify the bands it can connect to. Some international grey market devices may only be able to support hardware connection to some radio frequencies and not others. In these cases, the phone won’t work in the areas with incompatible frequencies.
As of 2017, all phones sold in Canada are unlocked per the revised CRTC Wireless Code. Since then, all phones are sold unlocked and are compatible with any carrier.
Can I make calls without reception?
In remote regions, some devices can still place and receive calls using WiFi calling. You will still need 1Mbps of available internet connection for WiFi calling to work.
TELUS Wi-Fi only kicks in when needed, so it will appear and disappear as your coverage changes. If TELUS WiFi is not appearing in areas where you are used to seeing it, try these simple three steps:
- Ensure that you still have WiFi Calling turned on.
- The TELUS WiFi notification on your device will fluctuate with the availability of a strong enough cellular network. If the cellular network is strong enough then WiFi Calling is unnecessary and the notification will not display.
In rare cases, your internet service provider (ISP) may affect your ability to connect. Please contact TELUS’ customer support if you are not able to connect through the following ISPs:
- Sasktel
- Bell Aliant
- Eastlink
- Xplornet
What happened to the TELUS CDMA network?
TELUS shut down their CDMA network on May 31, 2017 and replaced by newer, faster, and more reliable wireless networks (HSPA, LTE and 4G LTE).
CDMA devices are no longer able to access any of the TELUS mobile networks.
What is VoLTE?
VoLTE (Voice over LTE) is the next evolution in wireless calling. It allows customers with a compatible phone to place and receive calls over the TELUS LTE network instead of the HSPA network. There are multiple benefits to this including:
- Increased availability of HD Voice
- Simultaneous use of voice and LTE data
- Faster call set-up
Previously, voice calls were transmitted over 3G networks only. Now, with VoLTE, your voice calls can be made using LTE data and are generally better quality.
How do I activate VoLTE on my phone?
Most TELUS customers can take advantage of VoLTE automatically, once your device has been updated with the latest software. All of your calls will be seamlessly carried over the TELUS LTE network as long as you are in a VoLTE-capable LTE coverage area.
Note: iPhone users can enable VoLTE calling on device by selecting the Voice & data option under Cellular data options in the settings menu.
VoLTE services are may not be available everywhere.
How much do long distance phone calls cost?
TELUS has plans that include both unlimited Canada-wide calling and unlimited calling to the U.S. If you are a frequent long-distance caller, these types of plans are probably a good option
TELUS also offers international long distance calling add-ons for your pre-existing plan. If you do not purchase a long distance add-on service, you will be charged the current standard long-distance rates.
Can I travel to an international country with my TELUS phone?
Yes. You should consider purchasing either a US Roaming Travel Pass add-on or an International Roaming Travel Pass add-on for your existing plan to save on roaming costs. If you do not purchase a roaming service, you will be charged the current standard roaming rates.