Telus Corp is putting $650 million into British Columbia, in direct competition with Shaw as it expands HDTV offerings in Western Canada.

Vancouver-headquartered Telus has announced that it will invest $650-million in its British Columbia infrastructure. In mid-March, Telus announced a nearly identical $650-million investment to expand its wired and wireless broadband networks in Alberta.

The company will continue to strengthen on last year’s successful roll -out of its $3-billion high-speed packet access plus technology (HSPA) wireless overlay network with BCE Inc., adding HSPA+ capabilities that can deliver speeds up to 21 megabits per second.

Telus says also that it is focusing now on expanding its broadband service and ensuring that more communities have access to wired connections. This will also increase its potential HDTV market.

“Since 2000, Telus has invested more than $22 billion in technology and operations in British Columbia,” Telus president and CEO Darren Entwistle said in the release. “This significant commitment is bringing the benefits of one of the world’s most advanced wireless networks, high speed internet and high definition Telus TV to more people in our home province.”

Telus TV uses Microsoft Corp.'s Mediaroom technology as its delivery platform. Last year the company spent $500 million on infrastructure in B.C. and more than $700 million in Alberta.