TELUSCorporateCitizenship&Communication510WGeorgiaStVancouver, BCCanadaV6B0M3 6November StandingSenateCommitteeonNational Security, DefenceandVeteransAffairstheSenateof CanadaOttawa, OntarioCanadaK1A0A4 RE: TELUS’ commentsonBill C-26 Dear Senators, TELUScallsontheSenatetoamendBill C-26toaddressthecritical issueof copper theft,ensuringtheprotectionandresilienceof Canada'stelecommunicationsinfrastructure. Asakeyprovider of Canada’sessential telecommunicationsservices, TELUSiscommittedtoensuringresilient, high-qualityservicesthat protect Canadiansduringemergenciesandsupportbusinessoperations.

However, thegrowingissueof copper theft putsour networksat risk. Asofwriting, TELUShasseena46%increaseinmajor copper theft incidentssince2023. Copper theftsandvandalismhaveresultedinthelossof over 200millionminutesof servicefor our customers,withover 170,000customer impactssince2021. Copper theft isnot atheoretical problembut apressingrealitythat jeopardizesservicecontinuityandpublicsafety. Theincreasingfrequencyandimpact of thesetheftsisalarming. TELUSregularlyexperiencescopper theft incidents, sometimesoccurring2-4timesper weekacrossitsnetworks.

Whilethisrepresentsasignificant cost tothebusiness, thelarger impact isoncommunitiesacrossCanada;whenthesetheftsoccur communitiesloseaccessto911andemergencyservices, firstresponderscan't coordinateeffectively, local businessescan't processtransactions, andrural,remoteandIndigenouscommunities- especiallythosethat areservedbyasingleline- canbecompletelycut off.

Theissueextendswell beyondtelecommunications, aspublicutilities 1 ,transportation 2 , construction 3 , andsmall businesses acrossCanadafacethreatstotheir https://kitchener.ctvnews.ca/50k-worth-of-copper-wire-stolen-from-cambridge-business-police-1.7065032 https://globalnews.ca/news/10847167/alberta-copper-theft-prevention-rcmp-utilities/ 2 https://globalnews.ca/news/10385592/edmonton-crime-copper-wire-theft/ 1 https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/what-will-it-take-to-end-copper-theft-in-bc-1.7030485 TELUSCorporateCitizenship&Communication510WGeorgiaStVancouver, BCCanadaV6B0M3 operationsandinfrastructure.

Moreover, copper theft isextremelydangerousfor perpetrators;individualsoftenriskelectrocutionandsevereinjury. Theriseincopper theft canbeattributedtoseveral factors. Thepriceof copper remainshigh,reachingasmuchas$11,000(USD) per toninthespringof 2024, makingit aprofitabletarget forthieves 5 . Thecurrent legal frameworkdoesnot provideadequatedeterrence, ascopper theft istypicallychargedas"theft under $5000," carryingthesamepenaltiesasstealingabicycle 6 . Thislenient treatment, coupledwithlowprosecutionrates, hasledtohighratesof reoffending.

TELUSproposesanamendment toBill C-26tocreatearegulatoryprohibitionagainst dealinginillegallyobtainedtelecommunicationsapparatus, whichwouldincludecopper cables. Thisapproachwouldincreasefinesandlower theburdenof proof, creatingamoreeffectivedeterrent. Tothisend, TELUSproposesaddingthefollowingclausetoBill C-26: Addingclause12: “12TheAct isamendedbyaddingthefollowingafter section69.2(2): Ownership

(3) Nopersonshall distribute, lease, offer for sale, sell or import anytelecommunicationsapparatus, whether ornot registrationisrequiredunder thisAct, unlessthat personownsor otherwisehasauthoritytodistribute, lease,offer for sale, sell or import thetelecommunicationsapparatus.” Thisamendment wouldcomplement existingcriminal lawprovisionsanddisrupt thesupplychainfor stolencopper. Bypositioningthiswithinthetelecommunicationsregulatoryframework,enforcement canbemoretargetedandspecialized, allowingfor moreeffectivepreventionandprosecutionof thesecrimes.

International examplesdemonstratetheeffectivenessof comprehensiveapproachesliketheseinaddressingcopper theft. TheUK'sOperationTornadoresultedina51%reductionincopper cabletheft throughenhancedregulatorymeasures, whichincludedmandatoryidentificationfor scrapmetal sellersandeliminationof cashpayments 7 . Inconclusion, TELUSurgestheSenatetoconsider thisamendment toBill C-26.

Bytakingdecisiveactionagainst copper theft throughbothregulatoryandlegislativemeans, wecanbetter https://www.bbc.com/news/technology-21229762 https://www.electricity.ca/news/electricity-sector-calls-action-issue-dangerous-expensive-threat-reliability-copper-theft/ 5 https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2024-05-20/copper-surges-to-record-as-investors-bet-on-looming-shortage TELUSCorporateCitizenship&Communication510WGeorgiaStVancouver, BCCanadaV6B0M3 protect publicsafety, support economicstability, andensurethecontinuedreliabilityof thetelecommunicationsservicesthat Canadiansdependoneveryday.

Thisapproachwouldcreatearobust federal standard, addressingthecurrent patchworkof provincial regulationsandprovidingaunifiedfront against thispervasiveissue. Sincerely, BrianLakeyVice-President,ServiceReliabilityCenter DevonAranseviaSenior StrategyManagerPublicPolicy