UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549

 

FORM 6-K

 

Report of Foreign Private Issuer
Pursuant to Rule 13a-16 or 15d-16
under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934

 


 

For the month of July 2020
Commission File Number 001-15144

 

TELUS CORPORATION

(Translation of registrant’s name into English)

 


 

23rd Floor, 510 West Georgia Street
Vancouver, British Columbia V6B 0M3
Canada

(Address of principal executive office)

 

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant files or will file annual reports under cover of Form 20-F or Form 40-F:

 

Form 20-F o                           Form 40-F x

 

Indicate by check mark if the registrant is submitting the Form 6-K in paper as permitted by Regulation S-T Rule 101(b)(1). o

 

Indicate by check mark if the registrant is submitting the Form 6-K in paper as permitted by Regulation S-T Rule 101(b)(7). o

 

 

 


 

Incorporation by Reference

 

This report on Form 6-K and the exhibits hereto are specifically incorporated by reference into the registration statement on Form F-10 (File No. 333-238061), the registration statement on Form F-3D (File No. 333-232967) and the registration statements on Form S-8 (File Nos. 333-181463 and 333-125486), of TELUS Corporation.

 

2


 

Signatures

 

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized.

 

 

TELUS CORPORATION

 

 

 

By:

/s/ Andrea Wood

 

 

Name: Andrea Wood

 

 

Title:   Chief Legal and Governance Officer

 

 

Date: July 31, 2020

 

 

3


 

Exhibit Index

 

Exhibit Number

 

Description of Document

 

 

 

99.1

 

Consolidated Financial Statements

99.2

 

Management’s Discussion and Analysis

101.INS

 

XBRL Instance Document

101.SCH

 

XBRL Taxonomy Extension Schema

101.CAL

 

XBRL Taxonomy Extension Scheme Calculation Linkbase

101.DEF

 

XBRL Taxonomy Extension Scheme Definition Linkbase

101.LAB

 

XBRL Taxonomy Extension Scheme Label Linkbase

101.PRE

 

XBRL Taxonomy Extension Scheme Presentation Linkbase

 

4



Exhibit 99.1

 


 

TELUS CORPORATION

 

CONDENSED INTERIM CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

 

(UNAUDITED)

 

JUNE 30, 2020

 


 

condensed interim consolidated statements of income and other comprehensive income

(unaudited)

 

 

 

 

 

Three months

 

Six months

 

Periods ended June 30 (millions except per share amounts)

 

Note

 

2020

 

2019

 

2020

 

2019

 

OPERATING REVENUES

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Service

 

 

 

$

3,250

 

$

3,086

 

$

6,495

 

$

6,106

 

Equipment

 

 

 

406

 

501

 

824

 

970

 

Revenues arising from contracts with customers

 

6

 

3,656

 

3,587

 

7,319

 

7,076

 

Other operating income

 

7

 

72

 

10

 

103

 

27

 

 

 

 

 

3,728

 

3,597

 

7,422

 

7,103

 

OPERATING EXPENSES

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Goods and services purchased

 

 

 

1,458

 

1,466

 

2,870

 

2,887

 

Employee benefits expense

 

8

 

911

 

758

 

1,784

 

1,464

 

Depreciation

 

17

 

505

 

470

 

1,028

 

940

 

Amortization of intangible assets

 

18

 

220

 

163

 

422

 

310

 

 

 

 

 

3,094

 

2,857

 

6,104

 

5,601

 

OPERATING INCOME

 

 

 

634

 

740

 

1,318

 

1,502

 

Financing costs

 

9

 

202

 

189

 

394

 

357

 

INCOME BEFORE INCOME TAXES

 

 

 

432

 

551

 

924

 

1,145

 

Income taxes

 

10

 

117

 

31

 

256

 

188

 

NET INCOME

 

 

 

315

 

520

 

668

 

957

 

OTHER COMPREHENSIVE INCOME

 

11

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Items that may subsequently be reclassified to income

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Change in unrealized fair value of derivatives designated as cash flow hedges

 

 

 

(97

)

10

 

125

 

(39

)

Foreign currency translation adjustment arising from translating financial statements of foreign operations

 

 

 

(10

)

11

 

42

 

17

 

 

 

 

 

(107

)

21

 

167

 

(22

)

Items never subsequently reclassified to income

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Employee defined benefit plan re-measurements

 

 

 

(669

)

8

 

(353

)

32

 

 

 

 

 

(776

)

29

 

(186

)

10

 

COMPREHENSIVE INCOME

 

 

 

$

(461

)

$

549

 

$

482

 

$

967

 

NET INCOME ATTRIBUTABLE TO:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Common Shares

 

 

 

$

290

 

$

517

 

$

640

 

$

945

 

Non-controlling interests

 

 

 

25

 

3

 

28

 

12

 

 

 

 

 

$

315

 

$

520

 

$

668

 

$

957

 

COMPREHENSIVE INCOME ATTRIBUTABLE TO:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Common Shares

 

 

 

$

(477

)

$

543

 

$

451

 

$

949

 

Non-controlling interests

 

 

 

16

 

6

 

31

 

18

 

 

 

 

 

$

(461

)

$

549

 

$

482

 

$

967

 

NET INCOME PER COMMON SHARE* 

 

12

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Basic

 

 

 

$

0.23

 

$

0.43

 

$

0.51

 

$

0.79

 

Diluted

 

 

 

$

0.23

 

$

0.43

 

$

0.51

 

$

0.79

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

TOTAL WEIGHTED AVERAGE COMMON SHARES OUTSTANDING*

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Basic

 

 

 

1,278

 

1,203

 

1,263

 

1,202

 

Diluted

 

 

 

1,280

 

1,203

 

1,264

 

1,202

 

 


* Amounts reflect retrospective application of March 17, 2020, share split (see Note 28(b)).

 

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these condensed interim consolidated financial statements.

 

GRAPHIC

 

2


 

condensed interim consolidated statements of financial position

(unaudited)

 

As at (millions)

 

Note

 

June 30,
2020

 

December 31,
2019

 

ASSETS

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Current assets

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Cash and temporary investments, net

 

 

 

$

971

 

$

535

 

Accounts receivable

 

6(b)

 

2,004

 

1,962

 

Income and other taxes receivable

 

 

 

18

 

127

 

Inventories

 

1(c)

 

335

 

437

 

Contract assets

 

6(c)

 

538

 

737

 

Prepaid expenses

 

20

 

544

 

547

 

Current derivative assets

 

4(d)

 

10

 

8

 

 

 

 

 

4,420

 

4,353

 

Non-current assets

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Property, plant and equipment, net

 

17

 

14,559

 

14,232

 

Intangible assets, net

 

18

 

13,630

 

12,844

 

Goodwill, net

 

18

 

6,132

 

5,309

 

Contract assets

 

6(c)

 

212

 

328

 

Other long-term assets

 

20

 

1,355

 

919

 

 

 

 

 

35,888

 

33,632

 

 

 

 

 

$

40,308

 

$

37,985

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

LIABILITIES AND OWNERS’ EQUITY

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Current liabilities

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Short-term borrowings

 

22

 

$

100

 

$

100

 

Accounts payable and accrued liabilities

 

23

 

2,873

 

2,749

 

Income and other taxes payable

 

 

 

155

 

55

 

Dividends payable

 

13

 

372

 

352

 

Advance billings and customer deposits

 

24

 

696

 

675

 

Provisions

 

25

 

83

 

288

 

Current maturities of long-term debt

 

26

 

562

 

1,332

 

Current derivative liabilities

 

4(d)

 

9

 

23

 

 

 

 

 

4,850

 

5,574

 

Non-current liabilities

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Provisions

 

25

 

613

 

590

 

Long-term debt

 

26

 

17,956

 

17,142

 

Other long-term liabilities

 

27

 

1,157

 

806

 

Deferred income taxes

 

 

 

3,352

 

3,214

 

 

 

 

 

23,078

 

21,752

 

Liabilities

 

 

 

27,928

 

27,326

 

Owners’ equity

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Common equity

 

28

 

12,046

 

10,548

 

Non-controlling interests

 

 

 

334

 

111

 

 

 

 

 

12,380

 

10,659

 

 

 

 

 

$

40,308

 

$

37,985

 

Contingent Liabilities

 

29

 

 

 

 

 

 

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these condensed interim consolidated financial statements.

 

GRAPHIC

 

3


 

condensed interim consolidated statements of changes in owners’ equity

(unaudited)

 

 

 

 

 

Common equity

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Equity contributed

 

 

 

Accumulated

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Common Shares (Note 28)

 

 

 

 

 

other

 

 

 

Non-

 

 

 

(millions)

 

Note

 

Number of
shares
*

 

Share
capital

 

Contributed
surplus

 

Retained
earnings

 

comprehensive
income

 

Total

 

controlling
interests

 

Total

 

Balance as at January 1, 2019

 

 

 

1,197

 

$

5,390

 

$

383

 

$

4,321

 

$

11

 

$

10,105

 

$

74

 

$

10,179

 

Net income

 

 

 

 

 

 

945

 

 

945

 

12

 

957

 

Other comprehensive income

 

11

 

 

 

 

32

 

(28

)

4

 

6

 

10

 

Dividends

 

13

 

 

 

 

(668

)

 

(668

)

 

(668

)

Dividends reinvested and optional cash payments

 

13(b), 14(c)

 

2

 

46

 

 

 

 

46

 

 

46

 

Equity accounted share-based compensation

 

 

 

 

1

 

(1

)

 

 

 

 

 

Issue of Common Shares in business combination

 

 

 

3

 

72

 

 

 

 

72

 

 

72

 

Balance as at June 30, 2019

 

 

 

1,202

 

$

5,509

 

$

382

 

$

4,630

 

$

(17

)

$

10,504

 

$

92

 

$

10,596

 

Balance as at January 1, 2020

 

 

 

1,209

 

$

5,660

 

$

398

 

$

4,371

 

$

119

 

$

10,548

 

$

111

 

$

10,659

 

Net income

 

 

 

 

 

 

640

 

 

640

 

28

 

668

 

Other comprehensive income

 

11

 

 

 

 

(353

)

164

 

(189

)

3

 

(186

)

Dividends

 

13

 

 

 

 

(743

)

 

(743

)

 

(743

)

Dividends reinvested and optional cash payments

 

13(b), 14(c)

 

11

 

262

 

 

 

 

262

 

 

262

 

Equity accounted share-based compensation

 

14(b)

 

 

 

58

 

 

 

58

 

 

58

 

Common Shares issued

 

28(a)

 

58

 

1,453

 

 

 

 

1,453

 

 

1,453

 

Change of ownership interests of subsidiary

 

28(d)

 

 

 

17

 

 

 

17

 

192

 

209

 

Balance as at June 30, 2020

 

 

 

1,278

 

$

7,375

 

$

473

 

$

3,915

 

$

283

 

$

12,046

 

$

334

 

$

12,380

 

 


* Amounts reflect retrospective application of March 17, 2020, share split (see Note 28(b)).

 

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these condensed interim consolidated financial statements.

 

 

4


 

 

condensed interim consolidated statements of cash flows

 

(unaudited)

 

 

 

 

 

Three months

 

Six months

 

Periods ended June 30 (millions)

 

Note

 

2020

 

2019

 

2020

 

2019

 

OPERATING ACTIVITIES

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Net income

 

 

 

$

315

 

$

520

 

$

668

 

$

957

 

Adjustments to reconcile net income to cash provided by operating activities:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Depreciation and amortization

 

 

 

725

 

633

 

1,450

 

1,250

 

Deferred income taxes

 

10

 

36

 

(39

)

(25

)

(8

)

Share-based compensation expense, net

 

14(a)

 

41

 

20

 

64

 

39

 

Net employee defined benefit plans expense

 

15(a)

 

25

 

19

 

52

 

39

 

Employer contributions to employee defined benefit plans

 

 

 

(12

)

(12

)

(27

)

(28

)

Non-current contract assets

 

 

 

51

 

15

 

116

 

36

 

Non-current unbilled customer finance receivables

 

20

 

(53

)

9

 

(94

)

15

 

Loss from equity accounted investments

 

7, 21

 

5

 

1

 

13

 

1

 

Other

 

 

 

(75

)

(22

)

(42

)

51

 

Net change in non-cash operating working capital

 

31(a)

 

404

 

16

 

464

 

(402

)

Cash provided by operating activities

 

 

 

1,462

 

1,160

 

2,639

 

1,950

 

INVESTING ACTIVITIES

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Cash payments for capital assets, excluding spectrum licences

 

31(a)

 

(694

)

(645

)

(1,474

)

(1,438

)

Cash payments for spectrum licences

 

 

 

 

(931

)

 

(931

)

Cash payments for acquisitions, net

 

18(b)

 

(107

)

(26

)

(1,211

)

(188

)

Advances to, and investment in, real estate joint ventures and associate

 

21

 

(8

)

(9

)

(88

)

(17

)

Real estate joint venture receipts

 

21

 

1

 

1

 

3

 

2

 

Other

 

 

 

(15

)

10

 

(12

)

10

 

Cash used by investing activities

 

 

 

(823

)

(1,600

)

(2,782

)

(2,562

)

FINANCING ACTIVITIES

 

31(b)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Common Shares issued

 

 

 

 

 

1,495

 

 

Dividends paid to holders of Common Shares

 

13(a)

 

(240

)

(307

)

(462

)

(610

)

Issue (repayment) of short-term borrowings, net

 

 

 

 

(400

)

 

 

Long-term debt issued

 

26

 

1,000

 

2,422

 

2,377

 

3,588

 

Redemptions and repayment of long-term debt

 

26

 

(1,479

)

(1,617

)

(2,967

)

(2,534

)

Shares of subsidiary issued to non-controlling interests

 

28(d)

 

 

 

209

 

 

Other

 

 

 

(7

)

(29

)

(73

)

(29

)

Cash provided (used) by financing activities

 

 

 

(726

)

69

 

579

 

415

 

CASH POSITION

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Increase (decrease) in cash and temporary investments, net

 

 

 

(87

)

(371

)

436

 

(197

)

Cash and temporary investments, net, beginning of period

 

 

 

1,058

 

588

 

535

 

414

 

Cash and temporary investments, net, end of period

 

 

 

$

971

 

$

217

 

$

971

 

$

217

 

SUPPLEMENTAL DISCLOSURE OF OPERATING CASH FLOWS

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Interest paid

 

 

 

$

(199

)

$

(147

)

$

(376

)

$

(326

)

Interest received

 

 

 

$

3

 

$

3

 

$

6

 

$

5

 

Income taxes paid, net

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

In respect of comprehensive income

 

 

 

$

(11

)

$

(122

)

$

(104

)

$

(458

)

In respect of business acquisitions

 

 

 

(2

)

 

(33

)

(15

)

 

 

 

 

$

(13

)

$

(122

)

$

(137

)

$

(473

)

 

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these condensed interim consolidated financial statements.

 

 

5


 

notes to condensed interim consolidated financial statements

(unaudited)

 

JUNE 30, 2020

 

TELUS Corporation is one of Canada’s largest telecommunications companies, providing a wide range of telecommunications services and products, including wireless and wireline voice and data. Data services include: internet protocol; television; hosting, managed information technology and cloud-based services; healthcare solutions; customer care and business services; and home and business smart technology (including security).

 

TELUS Corporation was incorporated under the Company Act (British Columbia) on October 26, 1998, under the name BCT.TELUS Communications Inc. (BCT). On January 31, 1999, pursuant to a court-approved plan of arrangement under the Canada Business Corporations Act among BCT, BC TELECOM Inc. and the former Alberta-based TELUS Corporation (TC), BCT acquired all of the shares of BC TELECOM Inc. and TC in exchange for Common Shares and Non-Voting Shares of BCT, and BC TELECOM Inc. was dissolved. On May 3, 2000, BCT changed its name to TELUS Corporation and in February 2005, TELUS Corporation transitioned under the Business Corporations Act (British Columbia), successor to the Company Act (British Columbia). TELUS Corporation maintains its registered office at Floor 7, 510 West Georgia Street, Vancouver, British Columbia, V6B 0M3.

 

The terms “TELUS”, “we”, “us”, “our” or “ourselves” are used to refer to TELUS Corporation and, where the context of the narrative permits or requires, its subsidiaries.

 

Notes to condensed interim consolidated financial statements

 

Page

General application

 

 

1.

Condensed interim consolidated financial statements

 

7

2.

Accounting policy developments

 

7

3.

Capital structure financial policies

 

7

4.

Financial instruments

 

10

Consolidated results of operations focused

 

 

5.

Segment information

 

16

6.

Revenue from contracts with customers

 

18

7.

Other operating income

 

19

8.

Employee benefits expense

 

20

9.

Financing costs

 

20

10.

Income taxes

 

21

11.

Other comprehensive income

 

22

12.

Per share amounts

 

24

13.

Dividends per share

 

24

14.

Share-based compensation

 

25

15.

Employee future benefits

 

28

16.

Restructuring and other costs

 

29

Consolidated financial position focused

 

 

17.

Property, plant and equipment

 

30

18.

Intangible assets and goodwill

 

31

19.

Leases

 

33

20.

Other long-term assets

 

34

21.

Real estate joint ventures and investment in associate

 

34

22.

Short-term borrowings

 

37

23.

Accounts payable and accrued liabilities

 

37

24.

Advance billings and customer deposits

 

37

25.

Provisions

 

38

26.

Long-term debt

 

39

27.

Other long-term liabilities

 

42

28.

Owners’ equity

 

42

29.

Contingent liabilities

 

44

Other

 

 

 

30.

Related party transactions

 

45

31.

Additional statement of cash flow information

 

47

 

 

6


 

notes to condensed interim consolidated financial statements

(unaudited)

 

1                 condensed interim consolidated financial statements

 

(a)         Basis of presentation

 

The notes presented in our condensed interim consolidated financial statements include only significant events and transactions and are not fully inclusive of all matters normally disclosed in our annual audited financial statements; thus, our interim consolidated financial statements are referred to as condensed. Our condensed interim consolidated financial statements should be read in conjunction with our audited consolidated financial statements for the year ended December 31, 2019.

 

Our condensed interim consolidated financial statements are expressed in Canadian dollars and follow the same accounting policies and methods of their application as set out in our consolidated financial statements for the year ended December 31, 2019. The generally accepted accounting principles that we use are International Financial Reporting Standards as issued by the International Accounting Standards Board (IFRS-IASB) and Canadian generally accepted accounting principles. Our condensed interim consolidated financial statements comply with International Accounting Standard 34, Interim Financial Reporting and reflect all adjustments (which are of a normal recurring nature) that are, in our opinion, necessary for a fair statement of the results for the interim periods presented.

 

These consolidated financial statements for the three-month and six-month periods ended June 30, 2020, were authorized by our Board of Directors for issue on July 31, 2020.

 

(b)         Use of estimates and judgments

 

The preparation of financial statements in conformity with generally accepted accounting principles requires management to make estimates (including about the future effects of the COVID-19 pandemic), assumptions and judgments that affect: the reported amounts of assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements; the disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements; and the reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the reporting period. Actual results could differ from those estimates.

 

(c)          Inventories

 

Our inventories primarily consist of wireless handsets, parts and accessories totalling $266 million at June 30, 2020 (December 31, 2019 — $375 million) and communications equipment held for resale. Costs of goods sold for the three-month and six-month periods ended June 30, 2020, totalled $384 million (2019 — $484 million) and $786 million (2019 — $943 million), respectively.

 

2                 accounting policy developments

 

Initial application of standards, interpretations and amendments to standards and interpretations in the reporting period

 

In October 2018, the International Accounting Standards Board amended IFRS 3, Business Combinations, seeking to clarify whether an acquisition transaction results in the acquisition of an asset or the acquisition of a business. The amendments are effective for acquisition transactions on or after January 1, 2020, although earlier application was permitted. The amended standard has a narrower definition of a business, which could result in the recognition of fewer business combinations than under the previous standard; the implication of this is that amounts which may have been recognized as goodwill in a business combination under the previous standard may now be recognized as allocations to net identifiable assets acquired under the amended standard (with an associated effect in an entity’s results of operations that would differ from the effect of goodwill having been recognized). We have applied the standard prospectively from January 1, 2020. The effects of the amended standard on our financial performance and disclosure will be dependent on the facts and circumstances of any future acquisition transactions and have not been material in the current fiscal year.

 

3                 capital structure financial policies

 

General

 

Our objective when managing capital is to maintain a flexible capital structure that optimizes the cost and availability of capital at acceptable risk.

 

In the management of capital and in its definition, we include common equity (excluding accumulated other comprehensive income), long-term debt (including long-term credit facilities, commercial paper backstopped by long-term credit facilities and any hedging assets or liabilities associated with long-term debt items, net of amounts recognized

 

 

7


 

notes to condensed interim consolidated financial statements

(unaudited)

 

in accumulated other comprehensive income), cash and temporary investments, and short-term borrowings arising from securitized trade receivables.

 

We manage our capital structure and make adjustments to it in light of changes in economic conditions and the risk characteristics of our business. In order to maintain or adjust our capital structure, we may adjust the amount of dividends paid to holders of Common Shares, purchase Common Shares for cancellation pursuant to normal course issuer bids, issue new shares, issue new debt, issue new debt to replace existing debt with different characteristics and/or increase or decrease the amount of trade receivables sold to an arm’s-length securitization trust.

 

During 2020, our financial objectives, which are reviewed annually, were unchanged from 2019, excepting for a change in methodology of our dividend payout ratio. We believe that our financial objectives are supportive of our long-term strategy.

 

We monitor capital utilizing a number of measures, including: net debt to earnings before interest, income taxes, depreciation and amortization (EBITDA*) — excluding restructuring and other costs ratio; coverage ratios; and dividend payout ratios.

 

Debt and coverage ratios

 

Net debt to EBITDA — excluding restructuring and other costs is calculated as net debt at the end of the period, divided by 12-month trailing EBITDA — excluding restructuring and other costs. This measure, historically, is substantially similar to the leverage ratio covenant in our credit facilities. Net debt and EBITDA — excluding restructuring and other costs are measures that do not have any standardized meanings prescribed by IFRS-IASB and are therefore unlikely to be comparable to similar measures presented by other companies. The calculation of these measures is set out in the following table. Net debt is one component of a ratio used to determine compliance with debt covenants.

 

As at, or for the 12-month periods ended, June 30 ($ in millions)

 

Objective

 

2020

 

2019

 

Components of debt and coverage ratios

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Net debt 1

 

 

 

$

17,664

 

$

16,602

 

EBITDA — excluding restructuring and other costs 2

 

 

 

$

5,769

 

$

5,649

 

Net interest cost 3

 

 

 

$

797

 

$

706

 

Debt ratio

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Net debt to EBITDA — excluding restructuring and other costs

 

2.20 – 2.704

 

3.06

 

2.94

 

Coverage ratios

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Earnings coverage 5

 

 

 

3.6

 

4.2

 

EBITDA — excluding restructuring and other costs interest coverage 6

 

 

 

7.2

 

8.0

 

 


(1)         Net debt and total capitalization are calculated as follows:

 

As at June 30

 

Note

 

2020

 

2019

 

Long-term debt

 

26

 

$

18,518

 

$

16,579

 

Debt issuance costs netted against long-term debt

 

 

 

96

 

105

 

Derivative (assets) liabilities, net

 

 

 

(392

)

92

 

Accumulated other comprehensive income amounts arising from financial instruments used to manage interest rate and currency risks associated with U.S. dollar-denominated long-term debt — excluding tax effects

 

 

 

313

 

(57

)

Cash and temporary investments, net

 

 

 

(971

)

(217

)

Short-term borrowings

 

22

 

100

 

100

 

Net debt

 

 

 

17,664

 

16,602

 

Common equity

 

 

 

12,046

 

10,504

 

Less: accumulated other comprehensive income included in common equity above

 

 

 

(283

)

17

 

Total capitalization

 

 

 

$

29,427

 

$

27,123

 

 

(2)         EBITDA — excluding restructuring and other costs is calculated as follows:

 

 

 

EBITDA
(Note 5)

 

Restructuring
and other costs
(Note 16)

 

EBITDA —
excluding
restructuring
and other costs

 

Add

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Six-month period ended June 30, 2020

 

$

2,768

 

$

130

 

$

2,898

 

Year ended December 31, 2019

 

5,554

 

134

 

5,688

 

Deduct

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Six-month period ended June 30, 2019

 

(2,752

)

(65

)

(2,817

)

EBITDA — excluding restructuring and other costs

 

$

5,570

 

$

199

 

$

5,769

 

 

* EBITDA does not have any standardized meaning prescribed by IFRS-IASB and is therefore unlikely to be comparable to similar measures presented by other issuers; we define EBITDA as operating revenues less goods and services purchased and employee benefits expense. We have issued guidance on, and report, EBITDA because it is a key measure that management uses to evaluate the performance of our business, and it is also utilized in measuring compliance with certain debt covenants.

 

 

8


 

notes to condensed interim consolidated financial statements

(unaudited)

 

(3)         Net interest cost is defined as financing costs, excluding employee defined benefit plans net interest, recoveries on long-term debt prepayment premium and repayment of debt, calculated on a 12-month trailing basis (expenses recorded for long-term debt prepayment premium, if any, are included in net interest cost) (see Note 9).

(4)         Our long-term objective range for this ratio is 2.20 — 2.70 times. The ratio as at June 30, 2020, is outside the long-term objective range. We may permit, and have permitted, this ratio to go outside the objective range (for long-term investment opportunities), but we will endeavour to return this ratio to within the objective range in the medium term (following upcoming spectrum auctions), as we believe that this range is supportive of our long-term strategy. We are in compliance with the leverage ratio covenant in our credit facilities, which states that we may not permit our net debt to operating cash flow ratio to exceed 4.00:1.00 (see Note 26(d)); the calculation of the debt ratio is substantially similar to the calculation of the leverage ratio covenant in our credit facilities.

(5)         Earnings coverage is defined by Canadian Securities Administrators National Instrument 41-101 as net income before borrowing costs and income tax expense, divided by borrowing costs (interest on long-term debt; interest on short-term borrowings and other; long-term debt prepayment premium), and adding back capitalized interest, all such amounts excluding amounts attributable to non-controlling interests.

(6)         EBITDA — excluding restructuring and other costs interest coverage is defined as EBITDA — excluding restructuring and other costs, divided by net interest cost. This measure is substantially similar to the coverage ratio covenant in our credit facilities.

 

Net debt to EBITDA — excluding restructuring and other costs was 3.06 times as at June 30, 2020, up from 2.94 times one year earlier. The effect of the increase in net debt was exceeded by the effect of growth in EBITDA — excluding restructuring and other costs. The earnings coverage ratio for the twelve-month period ended June 30, 2020, was 3.6 times, down from 4.2 times one year earlier. Higher borrowing costs reduced the ratio by 0.5 and a decrease in income before borrowing costs and income taxes decreased the ratio by 0.1. The EBITDA — excluding restructuring and other costs interest coverage ratio for the twelve-month period ended June 30, 2020, was 7.2 times, down from 8.0 times one year earlier. Growth in EBITDA — excluding restructuring and other costs increased the ratio by 0.2, while an increase in net interest costs reduced the ratio by 1.0.

 

Dividend payout ratio

 

Commencing in 2020, so as to be consistent with the way we manage our business, we updated our revised dividend payout ratio presented to be a historical measure calculated as the sum of the last four quarters’ dividends declared for Common Shares as recorded in the financial statements, net of dividend reinvestment plan effects (see Note 13), divided by the sum of free cash flow* amounts for the most recent four quarters for interim reporting periods (divided by annual free cash flow if the reported amount is in respect of a fiscal year).

 

For the 12-month periods ended June 30

 

Objective

 

2020

 

2019

 

Determined using management measures

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Dividend payout ratio — net of dividend reinvestment plan effects

 

60%–75% 1

 

61

%

133

%

Determined using most comparable IFRS-IASB measures

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ratio of dividends declared to cash provided by operating activities less capital expenditures (excluding spectrum licences)

 

 

 

84

%

122

%

 


(1)         Our objective range for the dividend payout ratio is 60%-75% of free cash flow on a prospective basis.

 

12-month periods ended June 30 (millions)

 

2020

 

2019

 

Dividends declared

 

$

1,433

 

$

1,307

 

Amount of dividends declared reinvested in Common Shares

 

(516

)

(90

)

Dividends declared, net of dividend reinvestment plan effects

 

$

917

 

$

1,217

 

 

* Free cash flow does not have any standardized meaning prescribed by IFRS-IASB and is therefore unlikely to be comparable to similar measures presented by other issuers; we define free cash flow as EBITDA (operating revenues less goods and services purchased and employee benefits expense) excluding certain working capital changes (such as trade receivables and trade payables), proceeds from divested assets and other sources and uses of cash, as found in the consolidated statements of cash flows. We have issued guidance on, and report, free cash flow because it is a key measure that management, and investors, use to evaluate the performance of our business.

 

 

9


 

notes to condensed interim consolidated financial statements

(unaudited)

 

Our calculation of free cash flow, and the reconciliation to cash provided by operating activities, is as follows:

 

12-month periods ended June 30 (millions)

 

Note

 

2020

 

2019

 

EBITDA

 

5

 

$

5,570

 

$

5,336

 

Deduct non-cash gains from sale of property, plant and equipment

 

 

 

(13

)

(43

)

Restructuring and other costs, net of disbursements

 

 

 

22

 

43

 

Effects of contract asset, acquisition and fulfilment and TELUS Easy Payment device financing

 

 

 

43

 

(172

)

Effects of lease principal

 

31(b)

 

(346

)

(152

)

Leases accounted for as finance leases prior to adoption of IFRS 16

 

 

 

136

 

26

 

Deduct non-recurring gains and equity income related to real estate joint ventures

 

21(b)

 

 

(171

)

Donation to TELUS Friendly Future Foundation in Common Shares

 

 

 

 

100

 

Items from consolidated statements of cash flows:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Share-based compensation, net

 

14

 

23

 

2

 

Net employee defined benefit plans expense

 

15

 

91

 

85

 

Employer contributions to employee defined benefit plans

 

 

 

(40

)

(46

)

Interest paid

 

 

 

(764

)

(654

)

Interest received

 

 

 

8

 

9

 

Capital expenditures (excluding spectrum licences)

 

5

 

(2,911

)

(2,889

)

Free cash flow before income taxes

 

 

 

1,819

 

1,474

 

Income taxes paid, net of refunds

 

 

 

(308

)

(562

)

Free cash flow

 

 

 

1,511

 

912

 

Add (deduct):

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Capital expenditures (excluding spectrum licences)

 

5

 

2,911

 

2,889

 

Adjustments to reconcile to Cash provided by operating activities

 

 

 

194

 

163

 

Cash provided by operating activities

 

 

 

$

4,616

 

$

3,964

 

 

4                 financial instruments

 

(a)         Credit risk

 

Excluding credit risk, if any, arising from currency swaps settled on a gross basis, the best representation of our maximum exposure (excluding income tax effects) to credit risk, which is a worst-case scenario and does not reflect results we expect, is set out in the following table:

 

As at (millions)

 

June 30,
2020

 

December 31,
2019

 

Cash and temporary investments, net

 

$

971

 

$

535

 

Accounts receivable

 

2,323

 

2,187

 

Contract assets

 

750

 

1,065

 

Derivative assets

 

423

 

84

 

 

 

$

4,467

 

$

3,871

 

 

Cash and temporary investments, net

 

Credit risk associated with cash and temporary investments is managed by ensuring that these financial assets are placed with: governments; major financial institutions that have been accorded strong investment grade ratings by a primary rating agency; and/or other creditworthy counterparties. An ongoing review evaluates changes in the status of counterparties.

 

Accounts receivable

 

Credit risk associated with accounts receivable is inherently managed by the size and diversity of our large customer base, which includes substantially all consumer and business sectors in Canada. We follow a program of credit evaluations of customers and limit the amount of credit extended when deemed necessary. Accounts are considered to be past due (in default) when customers have failed to make the contractually required payments when due, which is generally within 30 days of the billing date. Any late payment charges are levied at an industry-based market or negotiated rate on outstanding non-current customer account balances.

 

 

10


 

notes to condensed interim consolidated financial statements

 

(unaudited)

 

As at (millions)

 

 

 

June 30, 2020

 

December 31, 2019

 

 

 

Note

 

Gross

 

Allowance

 

Net 1

 

Gross

 

Allowance

 

Net 1

 

Customer accounts receivable, net of allowance for doubtful accounts

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Less than 30 days past billing date

 

 

 

$

826

 

$

(22

)

$

804

 

$

803

 

$

(10

)

$

793

 

30-60 days past billing date

 

 

 

262

 

(15

)

247

 

331

 

(8

)

323

 

61-90 days past billing date

 

 

 

129

 

(14

)

115

 

74

 

(5

)

69

 

More than 90 days past billing date

 

 

 

114

 

(27

)

87

 

73

 

(14

)

59

 

Unbilled customer finance receivables

 

 

 

717

 

(26

)

691

 

523

 

(18

)

505

 

 

 

 

 

$

2,048

 

$

(104

)

$

1,944

 

$

1,804

 

$

(55

)

$

1,749

 

Current

 

 

 

$

1,719

 

$

(94

)

$

1,625

 

$

1,570

 

$

(46

)

$

1,524

 

Non-current

 

20

 

329

 

(10

)

319

 

234

 

(9

)

225

 

 

 

 

 

$

2,048

 

$

(104

)

$

1,944

 

$

1,804

 

$

(55

)

$

1,749

 

 


(1)         Net amounts represent customer accounts receivable for which an allowance had not been made as at the dates of the Consolidated statements of financial position (see Note 6(b)).

 

We maintain allowances for lifetime expected credit losses related to doubtful accounts. Current economic conditions (including forward-looking macroeconomic data), historical information (including credit agency reports, if available), reasons for the accounts being past due and the line of business from which the customer accounts receivable arose are all considered when determining whether to make allowances for past-due accounts. The same factors are considered when determining whether to write off amounts charged to the allowance for doubtful accounts against the customer accounts receivable; amounts charged to the customer accounts receivable allowance for doubtful accounts that were written off but were still subject to enforcement activity as at June 30, 2020, totalled $541 million (December 31, 2019 – $449 million). The doubtful accounts expense is calculated on a specific-identification basis for customer accounts receivable above a specific balance threshold and on a statistically derived allowance basis for the remainder. No customer accounts receivable are written off directly to the doubtful accounts expense.

 

The following table presents a summary of the activity related to our allowance for doubtful accounts.

 

 

 

Three months

 

Six months

 

Periods ended June 30 (millions)

 

2020

 

2019

 

2020

 

2019

 

Balance, beginning of period

 

$

56

 

$

43

 

$

55

 

$

53

 

Additions (doubtful accounts expense)

 

46

 

10

 

58

 

21

 

Accounts written off, net of recoveries

 

(6

)

(11

)

(18

)

(33

)

Other

 

8

 

 

9

 

1

 

Balance, end of period

 

$

104

 

$

42

 

$

104

 

$

42

 

 

Contract assets

 

Credit risk associated with contract assets is inherently managed by the size and diversity of our large customer base, which includes substantially all consumer and business sectors in Canada. We follow a program of credit evaluations of customers and limit the amount of credit extended when deemed necessary.

 

As at (millions)

 

June 30, 2020

 

December 31, 2019

 

 

 

Gross

 

Allowance

 

Net (Note 6(c))

 

Gross

 

Allowance

 

Net (Note 6(c))

 

Contract assets, net of impairment allowance

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

To be billed and thus reclassified to accounts receivable during:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The 12-month period ending one year hence

 

$

730

 

$

(41

)

$

689

 

$

952

 

$

(42

)

$

910

 

The 12-month period ending two years hence

 

209

 

(12

)

197

 

322

 

(14

)

308

 

Thereafter

 

16

 

(1

)

15

 

21

 

(1

)

20

 

 

 

$

955

 

$

(54

)

$

901

 

$

1,295

 

$

(57

)

$

1,238

 

 

We maintain allowances for lifetime expected credit losses related to contract assets. Current economic conditions, historical information (including credit agency reports, if available), and the line of business from which the contract asset arose are all considered when determining impairment allowances. The same factors are considered when determining whether to write off amounts charged to the impairment allowance for contract assets against contract assets.

 

Derivative assets (and derivative liabilities)

 

Counterparties to our share-based compensation cash-settled equity forward agreements and foreign exchange derivatives are major financial institutions that have been accorded investment grade ratings by a primary credit rating agency. The total dollar amount of credit exposure under contracts with any one financial institution is limited and counterparties’ credit ratings are monitored. We do not give or receive collateral on swap agreements and hedging items

 

 

11


 

notes to condensed interim consolidated financial statements

 

(unaudited)

 

due to our credit rating and those of our counterparties. While we are exposed to the risk of potential credit losses due to the possible non-performance of our counterparties, we consider this risk remote. Our derivative liabilities do not have credit risk-related contingent features.

 

(b)         Liquidity risk

 

As a component of our capital structure financial policies, discussed further in Note 3, we manage liquidity risk by:

 

·                  maintaining a daily cash pooling process that enables us to manage our available liquidity and our liquidity requirements according to our actual needs;

·                  maintaining an agreement to sell trade receivables to an arm’s-length securitization trust and bilateral bank facilities (Note 22), a commercial paper program (Note 26(c)) and syndicated credit facilities (Note 26(d),(e));

·                  maintaining an in-effect shelf prospectus;

·                  continuously monitoring forecast and actual cash flows; and

·                  managing maturity profiles of financial assets and financial liabilities.

 

Our debt maturities in future years are as disclosed in Note 26(g). As at June 30, 2020, we could offer $2.5 billion of debt or equity securities pursuant to a shelf prospectus that is in effect until June 2022 (December 31, 2019 – $2.0 billion pursuant to a shelf prospectus that was in effect until August 2021). We believe that our investment grade credit ratings contribute to reasonable access to capital markets.

 

We closely match the contractual maturities of our derivative financial liabilities with those of the risk exposures they are being used to manage.

 

The expected maturities of our undiscounted financial liabilities do not differ significantly from the contractual maturities, other than as noted below. The contractual maturities of our undiscounted financial liabilities, including interest thereon (where applicable), are set out in the following tables:

 

 

 

Non-derivative

 

Derivative

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Composite long-term debt

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Non-interest

 

 

 

Long-term
debt,

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

bearing

 

 

 

excluding

 

 

 

Currency swap agreement

 

 

 

Currency swap agreement

 

 

 

As at June 30, 2020

 

financial

 

Short-term

 

leases 1

 

Leases

 

amounts to be exchanged 2

 

 

 

amounts to be exchanged

 

 

 

(millions)

 

liabilities

 

borrowings 1

 

(Note 26)

 

(Note 26)

 

(Receive)

 

Pay

 

Other

 

(Receive)

 

Pay

 

Total

 

2020 (balance of year)

 

$

2,329

 

$

 

$

352

 

$

213

 

$

(80

)

$

73

 

$

4

 

$

(251

)

$

244

 

$

2,884

 

2021

 

161

 

101

 

867

 

398

 

(160

)

151

 

1

 

(203

)

205

 

1,521

 

2022

 

10

 

 

1,904

 

252

 

(160

)

151

 

8

 

 

 

2,165

 

2023

 

8

 

 

1,137

 

214

 

(160

)

150

 

 

 

 

1,349

 

2024

 

8

 

 

1,694

 

177

 

(160

)

150

 

 

 

 

1,869

 

2025-2029

 

20

 

 

9,153

 

475

 

(2,451

)

2,393

 

 

 

 

9,590

 

Thereafter

 

 

 

10,975

 

418

 

(3,168

)

3,020

 

 

 

 

11,245

 

Total

 

$

2,536

 

$

101

 

$

26,082

 

$

2,147

 

$

(6,339

)

$

6,088

 

$

13

 

$

(454

)

$

449

 

$

30,623

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Total (Note 26(g))

 

 

 

$

27,978

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


(1)             Cash outflows in respect of interest payments on our short-term borrowings, commercial paper and amounts drawn under our credit facilities (if any) have been calculated based upon the interest rates in effect as at June 30, 2020.

(2)             The amounts included in undiscounted non-derivative long-term debt in respect of U.S. dollar-denominated long-term debt, and the corresponding amounts in the long-term debt currency swaps receive column, have been determined based upon the currency exchange rates in effect as at June 30, 2020. The hedged U.S. dollar-denominated long-term debt contractual amounts at maturity, in effect, are reflected in the long-term debt currency swaps pay column as gross cash flows are exchanged pursuant to the currency swap agreements.

 

 

12


 

notes to condensed interim consolidated financial statements

 

(unaudited)

 

 

 

Non-derivative

 

Derivative

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Composite long-term debt

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Non-interest

 

 

 

Construction

 

Long-term

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

As at

 

bearing

 

 

 

credit facilities

 

debt,

 

 

 

Currency swap agreement

 

 

 

Currency swap agreement

 

 

 

December 31,

 

financial

 

Short-term

 

commitment

 

excluding

 

 

 

amounts to be exchanged 2

 

 

 

amounts to be exchanged

 

 

 

2019 (millions)

 

liabilities

 

borrowings 1

 

(Note 21)

 

leases 1

 

Leases

 

(Receive)

 

Pay

 

Other

 

(Receive)

 

Pay

 

Total

 

2020

 

$

2,639

 

$

3

 

$

10

 

$

1,657

 

$

373

 

$

(1,140

)

$

1,153

 

$

 

$

(917

)

$

921

 

$

4,699

 

2021

 

43

 

103

 

 

1,698

 

338

 

(119

)

118

 

 

 

 

2,181

 

2022

 

7

 

 

 

2,235

 

207

 

(119

)

118

 

8

 

 

 

2,456

 

2023

 

5

 

 

 

1,021

 

189

 

(119

)

118

 

 

 

 

1,214

 

2024

 

5

 

 

 

1,595

 

157

 

(119

)

118

 

 

 

 

1,756

 

2025-2029

 

4

 

 

 

7,311

 

429

 

(1,919

)

1,944

 

 

 

 

7,769

 

Thereafter

 

 

 

 

10,102

 

388

 

(3,019

)

3,020

 

 

 

 

10,491

 

Total

 

$

2,703

 

$

106

 

$

10

 

$

25,619

 

$

2,081

 

$

(6,554

)

$

6,589

 

$

8

 

$

(917

)

$

921

 

$

30,566

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Total

 

 

 

 

 

$

27,735

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


(1)              Cash outflows in respect of interest payments on our short-term borrowings, commercial paper and amounts drawn under our credit facilities (if any) have been calculated based upon the interest rates in effect as at December 31, 2019.

(2)              The amounts included in undiscounted non-derivative long-term debt in respect of U.S. dollar-denominated long-term debt, and the corresponding amounts in the long-term debt currency swaps receive column, have been determined based upon the currency exchange rates in effect as at December 31, 2019. The hedged U.S. dollar-denominated long-term debt contractual amounts at maturity, in effect, are reflected in the long-term debt currency swaps pay column as gross cash flows are exchanged pursuant to the currency swap agreements.

 

(c)          Market risks

 

Net income and other comprehensive income for the six-month periods ended June 30, 2020 and 2019, could have varied if the Canadian dollar: U.S. dollar exchange rate, the U.S. dollar: European euro exchange rate, market interest rates and our Common Share price varied by reasonably possible amounts from their actual statement of financial position date amounts.

 

The sensitivity analysis of our exposure to currency risk at the reporting date has been determined based upon a hypothetical change taking place at the relevant statement of financial position date. The U.S. dollar-denominated and European euro-denominated balances and derivative financial instrument notional amounts as at the statement of financial position dates have been used in the calculations.

 

The sensitivity analysis of our exposure to interest rate risk at the reporting date has been determined based upon a hypothetical change taking place at the beginning of the relevant fiscal year and being held constant through to the statement of financial position date. The relevant statement of financial position date principal and notional amounts have been used in the calculations.

 

The sensitivity analysis of our exposure to other price risk arising from share-based compensation at the reporting date has been determined based upon a hypothetical change taking place at the relevant statement of financial position date. The relevant notional number of Common Shares at the relevant statement of financial position date, which includes those in the cash-settled equity swap agreements, has been used in the calculations.

 

Income tax expense, which is reflected net in the sensitivity analysis, reflects the applicable statutory income tax rates for the reporting periods.

 

Six-month periods ended June 30

 

Net income

 

Other comprehensive income

 

Comprehensive income

 

(increase (decrease) in millions)

 

2020

 

2019

 

2020

 

2019

 

2020

 

2019

 

Reasonably possible changes in market risks 1

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

10% change in C$: US$ exchange rate

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Canadian dollar appreciates

 

$

4

 

$

 

$

(66

)

$

(55

)

$

(62

)

$

(55

)

Canadian dollar depreciates

 

$

(4

)

$

 

$

66

 

$

55

 

$

62

 

$

55

 

10% change in US$:  € exchange rate

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

U.S. dollar appreciates

 

$

 

$

 

$

(55

)

$

 

$

(55

)

$

 

U.S. dollar depreciates

 

$

 

$

 

$

55

 

$

 

$

55

 

$

 

25 basis point change in interest rates

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Interest rates increase

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Canadian interest rate

 

$

 

$

 

$

118

 

$

94

 

$

118

 

$

94

 

US interest rate

 

$

 

$

 

$

(129

)

$

(90

)

$

(129

)

$

(90

)

Combined

 

$

 

$

 

$

(11

)

$

4

 

$

(11

)

$

4

 

Interest rates decrease

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Canadian interest rate

 

$

 

$

 

$

(124

)

$

(99

)

$

(124

)

$

(99

)

US interest rate

 

$

 

$

 

$

137

 

$

95

 

$

137

 

$

95

 

Combined

 

$

 

$

 

$

13

 

$

(4

)

$

13

 

$

(4

)

 

 

13


 

notes to condensed interim consolidated financial statements

 

(unaudited)

 

Six-month periods ended June 30

 

Net income

 

Other comprehensive income

 

Comprehensive income

 

(increase (decrease) in millions)

 

2020

 

2019

 

2020

 

2019

 

2020

 

2019

 

25% 2 change in Common Share price 3

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Price increases

 

$

(8

)

$

(4

)

$

3

 

$

1

 

$

(5

)

$

(3

)

Price decreases

 

$

13

 

$

19

 

$

(3

)

$

(1

)

$

10

 

$

18

 

 


(1)         These sensitivities are hypothetical and should be used with caution. Changes in net income and/or other comprehensive income generally cannot be extrapolated because the relationship of the change in assumption to the change in net income and/or other comprehensive income may not be linear. In this table, the effect of a variation in a particular assumption on the amount of net income and/or other comprehensive income is calculated without changing any other factors; in reality, changes in one factor may result in changes in another, which might magnify or counteract the sensitivities.

 

The sensitivity analysis assumes that we would realize the changes in exchange rates and market interest rates; in reality, the competitive marketplace in which we operate would have an effect on this assumption.

 

No consideration has been made for a difference in the notional number of Common Shares associated with share-based compensation awards made during the reporting period that may have arisen due to a difference in the Common Share price.

 

(2)         To facilitate ongoing comparison of sensitivities, a constant variance of approximate magnitude has been used. Reflecting a six-month data period and calculated on a monthly basis, the volatility of our Common Share price as at June 30, 2020, was 22.8% (2019 – 12.5%).

 

(3)         The hypothetical effects of changes in the price of our Common Shares are restricted to those which would arise from our share-based compensation awards that are accounted for as liability instruments and the associated cash-settled equity swap agreements.

 

(d)         Fair values

 

Derivative

 

The derivative financial instruments that we measure at fair value on a recurring basis subsequent to initial recognition are set out in the following table.

 

As at (millions)

 

June 30, 2020

 

December 31, 2019

 

 

 

Designation

 

Maximum
maturity date

 

Notional
amount

 

Fair value 1 and
carrying value

 

Price or
rate

 

Maximum
maturity date

 

Notional
amount

 

Fair value 1 and
carrying value

 

Price or
rate

 

Current Assets 2

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Derivatives used to manage

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Currency risk arising from U.S. dollar-denominated purchases

 

HFH 3

 

2021

 

$

249

 

$

8

 

US$1.00: C$1.32

 

 

$

 

$

 

 

Currency risk arising from U.S. dollar revenues

 

HFT 4

 

2021

 

$

76 

 

2

 

US$1.00: C$1.36

 

2020

 

$

36 

 

1

 

US$1.00: C$1.30

 

Changes in share-based compensation costs (Note 14(b))

 

HFH 3

 

 

$

 

 

 

2020

 

$

72 

 

4

 

$

24.40

*

Currency risk associated with European euro-denominated business acquisition

 

HFH 3

 

 

$

 

 

 

2020

 

$

472 

 

3

 

€1.00: US$1.12

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

$

10

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

$

8

 

 

 

Other Long-Term Assets 2

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Derivatives used to manage

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Currency risks arising from U.S. dollar-denominated long-term debt 6 (Note 26(b)-(c))

 

HFH 3

 

2049

 

$

5,495 

 

$

413

 

US$1.00: C$1.30

 

2048 

 

$

3,068

 

$

76

 

US$1.00: C$1.28

 

 


* Amounts reflect retrospective application of March 17, 2020, share split (see Note 28(b)).

 

 

14


 

notes to condensed interim consolidated financial statements

 

(unaudited)

 

As at (millions)

 

June 30, 2020

 

December 31, 2019

 

 

 

Designation

 

Maximum
maturity date

 

Notional
amount

 

Fair value 1 and
carrying value

 

Price or
rate

 

Maximum
maturity date

 

Notional
amount

 

Fair value 1 and
carrying value

 

Price or
rate

 

Current Liabilities 2

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Derivatives used to manage

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Currency risk arising from U.S. dollar-denominated purchases

 

HFH 3

 

2021

 

$

123 

 

$

3

 

US$1.00: C$1.40

 

2020

 

$

412 

 

$

 

US$1.00: C$1.32

 

Changes in share-based compensation costs (Note 14(b))

 

HFH 3

 

2020 

 

$

72 

 

4

 

$

24.39

*

 

$

 

 

 

Currency risk arising from U.S. dollar-denominated long-term debt (Note 26(b)-(c))

 

HFH 3

 

 

$

 

 

 

2020

 

$

1,037 

 

17

 

US$1.00: C$1.32

 

Currency risk arising from European euro functional currency operations purchased with U.S. dollar-denominated long-term debt 7 (Notes 18(b), 26(e))

 

HFH 5

 

2024 

 

$

33

 

2

 

€1.00: US$1.09

 

 

$

 

 

 

Interest rate risk associated with non-fixed rate credit facility amounts drawn (Note 26(e))

 

HFH 3

 

2022

 

$

 

 

2.64

%

2022

 

$

 

 

2.64

%

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

$

9

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

$

23

 

 

 

Other Long-Term Liabilities 2

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Derivatives used to manage

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Currency risk arising from U.S. dollar-denominated long-term debt 6 (Note 26(b)-(c))

 

HFH 3

 

 

$

 

$

 

 

2049

 

$

2,485 

 

22

 

US$1.00: C$1.34

 

Currency risk arising from European euro functional currency operations purchased with U.S. dollar-denominated long-term debt 7 (Notes 18(b), 26(e))

 

HFH 5

 

2025 

 

$

563

 

19

 

€1.00: US$1.09

 

 

$

 

 

 

Interest rate risk associated with non-fixed rate credit facility amounts drawn (Note 26(e))

 

HFH 3

 

2022

 

$

133 

 

8

 

2.64

%

2022

 

$

130 

 

4

 

2.64

%

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

$

27

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

$

26

 

 

 

 


(1)              Fair value measured at reporting date using significant other observable inputs (Level 2).

(2)              Derivative financial assets and liabilities are not set off.

(3)              Designated as held for hedging (HFH) upon initial recognition (cash flow hedging item); hedge accounting is applied. Unless otherwise noted, hedge ratio is 1:1 and is established by assessing the degree of matching between the notional amounts of hedging items and the notional amounts of the associated hedged items.

(4)              Designated as held for trading (HFT) and classified as fair value through net income upon initial recognition; hedge accounting is not applied.

(5)              Designated as a hedge of a net investment in a foreign operation and hedge accounting is applied. Hedge ratio is 1:1 and is established by assessing the degree of matching between the notional amounts of hedging items and the notional amounts of the associated hedged items.

(6)              We designate only the spot element as the hedging item. As at June 30, 2020, the foreign currency basis spread included in the fair value of the derivative instruments, and which is used for purposes of assessing hedge ineffectiveness, was $92 (December 31, 2019 – $38).

(7)              We designate only the spot element as the hedging item. As at June 30, 2020, the foreign currency basis spread included in the fair value of the derivative instruments, and which is used for purposes of assessing hedge ineffectiveness was $2.

 

Non-derivative

 

Our long-term debt, which is measured at amortized cost, and the fair value thereof, are set out in the following table.

 

As at (millions)

 

June 30, 2020

 

December 31, 2019

 

 

 

Carrying
value

 

Fair value

 

Carrying
value

 

Fair value

 

Long-term debt, excluding leases (Note 26)

 

$

16,797

 

$

18,121

 

$

16,813

 

$

17,930

 

 

(e)          Recognition of derivative gains and losses

 

The following table sets out the gains and losses, excluding income tax effects, arising from derivative instruments that are classified as cash flow hedging items and their location within the Consolidated statements of income and other comprehensive income.

 


* Amounts reflect retrospective application of March 17, 2020, share split (see Note 28(b)).

 

 

15


 

notes to condensed interim consolidated financial statements

(unaudited)

 

Credit risk associated with such derivative instruments, as discussed further in (a), would be the primary source of hedge ineffectiveness. There was no ineffective portion of the derivative instruments classified as cash flow hedging items for the periods presented.

 

 

 

 

 

Amount of gain (loss)
recognized in other
comprehensive income

 

Gain (loss) reclassified from other comprehensive
income to income (effective portion)
(Note 11)

 

 

 

 

 

(effective portion) (Note 11)

 

 

 

Amount

 

Periods ended June 30 (millions)

 

Note

 

2020

 

2019

 

Location

 

2020

 

2019

 

THREE-MONTH

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Derivatives used to manage currency risk

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Arising from U.S. dollar-denominated purchases

 

 

 

$

(13

)

$

(7

)

Goods and services purchased

 

$

5

 

$

4

 

Arising from U.S. dollar-denominated long-term debt 1

 

26(b)-(c)

 

(216

)

(29

)

Financing costs

 

(129

)

(58

)

Arising from net investment in a foreign operation 2

 

 

 

(21

)

 

Financing costs

 

(3

)

 

 

 

 

 

(250

)

(36

)

 

 

(127

)

(54

)

Derivatives used to manage other market risk

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Arising from changes in share-based compensation costs and other

 

14(b)

 

 

(5

)

Employee benefits expense

 

1

 

(1

)

 

 

 

 

$

(250

)

$

(41

)

 

 

$

(126

)

$

(55

)

SIX-MONTH

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Derivatives used to manage currency risk

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Arising from U.S. dollar-denominated purchases

 

 

 

$

18

 

$

(15

)

Goods and services purchased

 

$

7

 

$

9

 

Arising from U.S. dollar-denominated long-term debt 1

 

26(b)-(c)

 

424

 

(151

)

Financing costs

 

223

 

(123

)

Arising from net investment in a foreign operation 2

 

 

 

(22

)

 

Financing costs

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

420

 

(166

)

 

 

230

 

(114

)

Derivatives used to manage other market risk

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Arising from changes in share-based compensation costs and other

 

14(b)

 

(10

)

5

 

Employee benefits expense

 

(1

)

6

 

 

 

 

 

$

410

 

$

(161

)

 

 

$

229

 

$

(108

)

 


(1)         Amounts recognized in other comprehensive income are net of the change in the foreign currency basis spread (which is used for purposes of assessing hedge ineffectiveness) included in the fair value of the derivative instruments; such amount for the three-month and six-month periods ended June 30, 2020, were $(4) (2019 – $NIL) and $54 (2019 – $7), respectively.

(2)         Amounts recognized in other comprehensive income are net of the change in the foreign currency basis spread (which is used for purposes of assessing hedge ineffectiveness) included in the fair value of the derivative instruments; such amount for the three-month and six-month periods ended June 30, 2020, were $2 and $2, respectively.

 

The following table sets out the gains and losses arising from derivative instruments that are classified as held for trading and that are not designated as being in a hedging relationship, and their location within the Consolidated statements of income and other comprehensive income.

 

 

 

 

 

Gain recognized in income on derivatives

 

 

 

 

 

Three months

 

Six months

 

Periods ended June 30 (millions)

 

Location

 

2020

 

2019

 

2020

 

2019

 

Derivatives used to manage currency risk

 

Financing costs

 

$

3

 

$

3

 

$

4

 

$

5

 

 

5                 segment information

 

General

 

Operating segments are components of an entity that engage in business activities from which they earn revenues and incur expenses (including revenues and expenses related to transactions with the other component(s)), the operations of which can be clearly distinguished and for which the operating results are regularly reviewed by a chief operating decision-maker to make resource allocation decisions and to assess performance. Effective January 1, 2020, we embarked upon modifying our internal and external reporting processes, systems and internal controls to accommodate the technology convergence-driven cessation of the historical distinction between our wireless and wireline operations at the level of regularly reported discrete performance measures that are provided to our chief operating decision-maker. Prior to the World Health Organization characterizing COVID-19 as a pandemic, we had anticipated transitioning to a new segment reporting structure during 2020, but did not, and do not, anticipate a substantive change to our products and services revenue reporting from such transition; we will continue to report wireless and wireline operations until such transition is substantially completed, but the timing of such transition may be impacted as we prioritize managing through the pandemic.

 

The wireless segment includes network revenues and equipment sales arising from mobile technologies. The wireline segment includes data revenues (which include internet protocol; television; hosting, managed information

 

 

16


 

notes to condensed interim consolidated financial statements

(unaudited)

 

technology and cloud-based services; customer care and business services; certain healthcare solutions; and home and business security), voice and other telecommunications services revenues (excluding wireless arising from mobile technologies), and equipment sales. Segmentation has been based on similarities in technology (mobile versus fixed), the technical expertise required to deliver the services and products, customer characteristics, the distribution channels used and regulatory treatment. Intersegment sales are recorded at the exchange value, which is the amount agreed to by the parties.

 

The segment information regularly reported to our Chief Executive Officer (our chief operating decision-maker), and the reconciliations thereof to our products and services view of revenues, other revenues and income before income taxes, are set out in the following table.

 

Three-month periods ended

 

Wireless

 

Wireline

 

Eliminations

 

Consolidated

 

June 30 (millions)

 

2020

 

2019

 

2020

 

2019

 

2020

 

2019

 

2020

 

2019

 

Operating revenues

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

External revenues

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Service

 

$

1,485

 

$

1,534

 

$

1,765

 

$

1,552

 

$

 

$

 

$

3,250

 

$

3,086

 

Equipment

 

347

 

444

 

59

 

57

 

 

 

406

 

501

 

Revenues arising from contracts with customers

 

1,832

 

1,978

 

1,824

 

1,609

 

 

 

3,656

 

3,587

 

Other operating income

 

(1

)

5

 

73

 

5

 

 

 

72

 

10

 

 

 

1,831

 

1,983

 

1,897

 

1,614

 

 

 

3,728

 

3,597

 

Intersegment revenues

 

15

 

14

 

64

 

60

 

(79

)

(74

)

 

 

 

 

$

1,846

 

$

1,997

 

$

1,961

 

$

1,674

 

$

(79

)

$

(74

)

$

3,728

 

$

3,597

 

EBITDA 1

 

$

870

 

$

919

 

$

489

 

$

454

 

$

 

$

 

$

1,359

 

$

1,373

 

CAPEX, excluding spectrum licences 2

 

$

234

 

$

223

 

$

522

 

$

547

 

$

 

$

 

$

756

 

$

770

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Operating revenues — external (above)

 

$

3,728

 

$

3,597

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Goods and services purchased

 

1,458

 

1,466

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Employee benefits expense

 

911

 

758

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

EBITDA (above)

 

1,359

 

1,373

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Depreciation

 

505

 

470

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Amortization

 

220

 

163

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Operating income

 

634

 

740

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Financing costs

 

202

 

189

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Income before income taxes

 

$

432

 

$

551

 

 

Six-month periods ended

 

Wireless

 

Wireline

 

Eliminations

 

Consolidated

 

June 30 (millions)

 

2020

 

2019

 

2020

 

2019

 

2020

 

2019

 

2020

 

2019

 

Operating revenues

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

External revenues

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Service

 

$

3,008

 

$

3,034

 

$

3,487

 

$

3,072

 

$

 

$

 

$

6,495

 

$

6,106

 

Equipment

 

709

 

863

 

115

 

107

 

 

 

824

 

970

 

Revenues arising from contracts with customers

 

3,717

 

3,897

 

3,602

 

3,179

 

 

 

7,319

 

7,076

 

Other operating income

 

(2

)

10

 

105

 

17

 

 

 

103

 

27

 

 

 

3,715

 

3,907

 

3,707

 

3,196

 

 

 

7,422

 

7,103

 

Intersegment revenues

 

29

 

27

 

127

 

116

 

(156

)

(143

)

 

 

 

 

$

3,744

 

$

3,934

 

$

3,834

 

$

3,312

 

$

(156

)

$

(143

)

$

7,422

 

$

7,103

 

EBITDA 1

 

$

1,804

 

$

1,827

 

$

964

 

$

925

 

$

 

$

 

$

2,768

 

$

2,752

 

CAPEX, excluding spectrum licences 2

 

$

428

 

$

400

 

$

993

 

$

1,016

 

$

 

$

 

$

1,421

 

$

1,416

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Operating revenues — external (above)

 

$

7,422

 

$

7,103

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Goods and services purchased

 

2,870

 

2,887

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Employee benefits expense

 

1,784

 

1,464

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

EBITDA (above)

 

2,768

 

2,752

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Depreciation

 

1,028

 

940

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Amortization

 

422

 

310

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Operating income

 

1,318

 

1,502

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Financing costs

 

394

 

357

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Income before income taxes

 

$

924

 

$

1,145

 

 

 

17


 

notes to condensed interim consolidated financial statements

(unaudited)

 


(1)         Earnings before interest, income taxes, depreciation and amortization (EBITDA) does not have any standardized meaning prescribed by IFRS-IASB and is therefore unlikely to be comparable to similar measures presented by other issuers; we define EBITDA as operating revenues less goods and services purchased and employee benefits expense. We have issued guidance on, and report, EBITDA because it is a key measure that management uses to evaluate the performance of our business, and it is also utilized in measuring compliance with certain debt covenants.

(2)         Total capital expenditures (CAPEX); see Note 31(a) for a reconciliation of capital expenditures, excluding spectrum licences to cash payments for capital assets, excluding spectrum licences reported in the Consolidated statements of cash flows.

 

6                 revenue from contracts with customers

 

(a)         Revenues

 

In the determination of the minimum transaction prices in contracts with customers, amounts are allocated to fulfilling, or completion of fulfilling, future contracted performance obligations. These unfulfilled, or partially unfulfilled, future contracted performance obligations are largely in respect of services to be provided over the duration of the contract. The following table sets out our aggregate estimated minimum transaction prices allocated to remaining unfulfilled, or partially unfulfilled, future contracted performance obligations and the timing of when we might expect to recognize the associated revenues; actual amounts could differ from these estimates due to a variety of factors, including the unpredictable nature of: customer behaviour; industry regulation; the economic environments in which we operate; and competitor behaviour.

 

As at (millions)

 

June 30,
2020

 

December 31,
2019

 

Estimated minimum transaction price allocated to remaining unfulfilled, or partially unfulfilled, performance obligations to be recognized as revenue in a future period 1, 2

 

 

 

 

 

During the 12-month period ending one year hence

 

$

2,227

 

$

2,405

 

During the 12-month period ending two years hence

 

748

 

930

 

Thereafter

 

33

 

40

 

 

 

$

3,008

 

$

3,375

 

 


(1)         Excludes constrained variable consideration amounts, amounts arising from contracts originally expected to have a duration of one year or less and, as a permitted practical expedient, amounts arising from contracts that are not affected by revenue recognition timing differences arising from transaction price allocation or from contracts under which we may recognize and bill revenue in an amount that corresponds directly with our completed performance obligations.

(2)         IFRS-IASB requires the explanation of when we expect to recognize as revenue the amounts disclosed as the estimated minimum transaction price allocated to remaining unfulfilled, or partially unfulfilled, performance obligations. The estimated amounts disclosed are based upon contractual terms and maturities. Actual minimum transaction price revenues recognized, and the timing thereof, will differ from these estimates primarily due to the frequency with which the actual durations of contracts with customers do not match their contractual maturities.

 

(b)         Accounts receivable

 

As at (millions)

 

Note

 

June 30,
2020

 

December 31,
2019

 

Customer accounts receivable

 

 

 

$

1,719

 

$

1,570

 

Accrued receivables — customer

 

 

 

220

 

180

 

Allowance for doubtful accounts

 

4(a)

 

(94

)

(46

)

 

 

 

 

1,845

 

1,704

 

Accrued receivables — other

 

 

 

159

 

258

 

Accounts receivable — current

 

 

 

$

2,004

 

$

1,962

 

 

 

18


 

notes to condensed interim consolidated financial statements

(unaudited)

 

(c)          Contract assets

 

 

 

 

 

Three months

 

Six months

 

Periods ended June 30 (millions)

 

Note

 

2020

 

2019

 

2020

 

2019

 

Balance, beginning of period

 

 

 

$

1,069

 

$

1,449

 

$

1,238

 

$

1,475

 

Net additions arising from operations

 

 

 

176

 

350

 

347

 

671

 

Amounts billed in period and thus reclassified to accounts receivable 1

 

 

 

(343

)

(357

)

(688

)

(703

)

Change in impairment allowance, net

 

4(a)

 

(2

)

(2

)

3

 

(4

)

Other

 

 

 

1

 

1

 

1

 

2

 

Balance, end of period

 

 

 

$

901

 

$

1,441

 

$

901

 

$

1,441

 

To be billed and thus reclassified to accounts receivable during:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The 12-month period ending one year hence

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

$

689

 

$

1,019

 

The 12-month period ending two years hence

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

197

 

407

 

Thereafter

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

15

 

15

 

Balance, end of period

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

$

901

 

$

1,441

 

Reconciliation of contract assets presented in the Consolidated statements of financial position — current

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Gross contract assets

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

$

689

 

$

1,019

 

Reclassification to contract liabilities of contracts with contract assets less than contract liabilities

 

24

 

 

 

 

 

(9

)

(5

)

Reclassification from contract liabilities of contracts with contract liabilities less than contract assets

 

24

 

 

 

 

 

(142

)

(155

)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

$

538

 

$

859

 

 


(1)         For the three-month and six-month periods ended June 30, 2020, amounts billed for our wireless products and services and reclassified to accounts receivable totalled $268 (2019 – $330) and $557 (2019 – $650), respectively.

 

7                 other operating income

 

 

 

 

 

Three months

 

Six months

 

Periods ended June 30 (millions)

 

Note

 

2020

 

2019

 

2020

 

2019

 

Government assistance

 

 

 

$

3

 

$

5

 

$

6

 

$

12

 

Other sublet revenue

 

19

 

 

1

 

1

 

1

 

Investment income, gain (loss) on disposal of assets and other

 

21

 

(3

)

3

 

(9

)

12

 

Interest income

 

21(b)

 

1

 

1

 

2

 

2

 

Changes in business combination-related provisions

 

25

 

71

 

 

103

 

 

 

 

 

 

$

72

 

$

10

 

$

103

 

$

27

 

 

We receive government assistance, as defined by IFRS-IASB, from a number of sources and include such amounts received in Other operating income. We recognize such amounts on an accrual basis as the subsidized services are provided or as the subsidized costs are incurred.

 

CRTC subsidy

 

Local exchange carriers’ costs of providing the level of residential basic telephone services that the CRTC requires to be provided in high cost serving areas are greater than the amounts the CRTC allows the local exchange carriers to charge for the level of service. To ameliorate the situation, the CRTC directs the collection of contribution payments, in a central fund, from all registered Canadian telecommunications service providers (including voice, data and wireless service providers) that are then disbursed to incumbent local exchange carriers as subsidy payments to partially offset the costs of providing residential basic telephone services in non-forborne high cost serving areas. The subsidy payment disbursements are based upon a total subsidy requirement calculated on a per network access line/per band subsidy rate. For the three-month and six-month periods ended June 30, 2020, our subsidy receipts were $2 million (2019 – $4 million) and $5 million (2019 – $8 million), respectively.

 

Government of Quebec

 

Salaries for qualifying employment positions in the province of Quebec, mainly in the information technology sector, are eligible for tax credits. In respect of such tax credits, for the three-month and six-month periods ended June 30, 2020, we recorded $1 million (2019 – $4 million) and $1 million (2019 – $4 million), respectively.

 

 

19


 

notes to condensed interim consolidated financial statements

 

(unaudited)

 

8   employee benefits expense

 

 

 

 

 

Three months

 

Six months

 

Periods ended June 30 (millions)

 

Note

 

2020

 

2019

 

2020

 

2019

 

Employee benefits expense — gross

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Wages and salaries

 

 

 

$

901

 

$

762

 

$

1,781

 

$

1,465

 

Share-based compensation

 

14

 

46

 

30

 

78

 

64

 

Pensions — defined benefit

 

15(a)

 

25

 

19

 

52

 

39

 

Pensions — defined contribution

 

15(b)

 

25

 

20

 

46

 

43

 

Restructuring costs

 

16(a)

 

10

 

19

 

20

 

34

 

Other

 

 

 

43

 

47

 

89

 

89

 

 

 

 

 

1,050

 

897

 

2,066

 

1,734

 

Capitalized internal labour costs, net

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Contract acquisition costs

 

20

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Capitalized

 

 

 

(16

)

(12

)

(33

)

(24

)

Amortized

 

 

 

13

 

11

 

26

 

23

 

Contract fulfilment costs

 

20

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Capitalized

 

 

 

(1

)

 

(2

)

(1

)

Amortized

 

 

 

1

 

 

2

 

1

 

Property, plant and equipment

 

 

 

(83

)

(90

)

(170

)

(175

)

Intangible assets subject to amortization

 

 

 

(53

)

(48

)

(105

)

(94

)

 

 

 

 

(139

)

(139

)

(282

)

(270

)

 

 

 

 

$

911

 

$

758

 

$

1,784

 

$

1,464

 

 

9   financing costs

 

 

 

 

 

Three months

 

Six months

 

Periods ended June 30 (millions)

 

Note

 

2020

 

2019

 

2020

 

2019

 

Interest expense

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Interest on long-term debt, excluding lease liabilities — gross

 

 

 

$

169

 

$

161

 

$

339

 

$

311

 

Interest on long-term debt, excluding lease liabilities - capitalized 1

 

18(a)

 

(9)

 

(4

)

(17

)

(4

)

Interest on long-term debt, excluding lease liabilities

 

 

 

160

 

157

 

322

 

307

 

Interest on lease liabilities

 

19

 

17

 

16

 

35

 

32

 

Interest on short-term borrowings and other

 

 

 

2

 

3

 

4

 

8

 

Interest accretion on provisions

 

25

 

4

 

5

 

9

 

11

 

Long-term debt prepayment premium

 

26(a)

 

18

 

 

18

 

 

 

 

 

 

201

 

181

 

388

 

358

 

Employee defined benefit plans net interest

 

15

 

4

 

 

8

 

 

Foreign exchange

 

 

 

(1

)

11

 

1

 

4

 

 

 

 

 

204

 

192

 

397

 

362

 

Interest income

 

 

 

(2

)

(3

)

(3

)

(5

)

 

 

 

 

$

202

 

$

189

 

$

394

 

$

357

 

Net interest cost

 

3

 

 

 

 

 

$

403

 

$

361

 

Interest on long-term debt, excluding lease liabilities - capitalized 1

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(17

)

(4

)

Employee defined benefit plans net interest

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

8

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

$

394

 

$

357

 

 


(1)         Interest on long-term debt, excluding lease liabilities, interest at a composite rate of 4.33% was capitalized to intangible assets with indefinite lives in the period.

 

 

20


 

notes to condensed interim consolidated financial statements

 

(unaudited)

 

10                                  income taxes

 

 

 

Three months

 

Six months

 

Periods ended June 30 (millions)

 

2020

 

2019

 

2020

 

2019

 

Current income tax expense

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

For the current reporting period

 

$

83

 

$

71

 

$

285

 

$

197

 

Adjustments recognized in the current period for income taxes of prior periods

 

(2

)

(1

)

(4

)

(1

)

 

 

81

 

70

 

281

 

196

 

Deferred income tax expense

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Arising from the origination and reversal of temporary differences

 

32

 

83

 

(28

)

114

 

Revaluation of deferred income tax liability to reflect future income tax rates

 

(2

)

(121

)

(5

)

(121

)

Adjustments recognized in the current period for income taxes of prior periods

 

6

 

(1

)

8

 

(1

)

 

 

36

 

(39

)

(25

)

(8

)

 

 

$

117

 

$

31

 

$

256

 

$

188

 

 

Our income tax expense and effective income tax rate differ from those calculated by applying the applicable statutory rates for the following reasons:

 

Three-month periods ended June 30 ($ in millions)

 

2020

 

2019

 

Income taxes computed at applicable statutory rates

 

$

113

 

26.2

%

$

147

 

26.7

%

Revaluation of deferred income tax liability to reflect future income tax rates

 

(2

)

(0.5

)

(121

)

(22.0

)

Adjustments recognized in the current period for income taxes of prior periods

 

4

 

0.9

 

(2

)

(0.3

)

Other

 

2

 

0.5

 

7

 

1.2

 

Income tax expense per Consolidated statements of income and other comprehensive income

 

$

117

 

27.1

%

$

31

 

5.6

%

 

Six-month periods ended June 30 ($ in millions)

 

2020

 

2019

 

Income taxes computed at applicable statutory rates

 

$

243

 

26.3

%

$

308

 

26.9

%

Revaluation of deferred income tax liability to reflect future income tax rates

 

(5

)

(0.5

)

(121

)

(10.6

)

Adjustments recognized in the current period for income taxes of prior periods

 

4

 

0.4

 

(2

)

(0.2

)

Other

 

14

 

1.5

 

3

 

0.3

 

Income tax expense per Consolidated statements of income and other comprehensive income

 

$

256

 

27.7

%

$

188

 

16.4

%

 

 

21


 

notes to condensed interim consolidated financial statements

(unaudited)

 

11          other comprehensive income

 

.

 

Items that may subsequently be reclassified to income

 

Item never
 reclassified to
 income

 

 

 

Item never 
reclassified to
income

 

 

 

 

 

Change in unrealized fair value of derivatives designated as cash flow hedges in current period (Note 4(e))

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Derivatives used to manage currency risk

 

Derivatives used to manage other market risks

 

 

 

Cumulative

 

Change in

 

 

 

Employee 

 

 

 

Periods ended June 30 (millions)

 

Gains
 (losses)
arising

 

Prior period 
(gains) losses 
transferred to
net income

 

Total

 

Gains
 (losses) 
arising

 

Prior period 
(gains) losses
transferred to
net income

 

Total

 

Total

 

foreign
currency
translation
adjustment

 

measurement
of investment
financial 
assets

 

Accumulated
other
comp. income

 

defined
benefit
plan
re-measurements

 

Other
comp. income

 

THREE-MONTH

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Accumulated balance as at April 1, 2019

 

 

 

 

 

$

(70

)

 

 

 

 

$

2

 

$

(68

)

$

28

 

$

 

$

(40

)

 

 

 

 

Other comprehensive income (loss)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Amount arising

 

$

(36

)

$

54

 

18

 

$

(5

)

$

1

 

(4

)

14

 

11

 

 

25

 

$

16

 

$

41

 

Income taxes

 

$

(4

)

$

9

 

5

 

$

(2

)

$

1

 

(1

)

4

 

 

 

4

 

8

 

12

 

Net

 

 

 

 

 

13

 

 

 

 

 

(3

)

10

 

11

 

 

21

 

$

8

 

$

29

 

Accumulated balance as at June 30, 2019

 

 

 

 

 

$

(57

)

 

 

 

 

$

(1

)

$

(58

)

$

39

 

$

 

$

(19

)

 

 

 

 

Accumulated balance as at April 1, 2020

 

 

 

 

 

$

294

 

 

 

 

 

$

(7

)

$

287

 

$

94

 

$

12

 

$

393

 

 

 

 

 

Other comprehensive income (loss)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Amount arising

 

$

(250

)

$

127

 

(123

)

$

 

$

(1

)

(1

)

(124

)

(10

)

 

(134

)

$

(901

)

$

(1,035

)

Income taxes

 

$

(43

)

$

16

 

(27

)

$

1

 

$

(1

)

 

(27

)

 

 

(27

)

(232

)

(259

)

Net

 

 

 

 

 

(96

)

 

 

 

 

(1

)

(97

)

(10

)

 

(107

)

$

(669

)

$

(776

)

Accumulated balance as at June 30, 2020

 

 

 

 

 

$

198

 

 

 

 

 

$

(8

)

$

190

 

$

84

 

$

12

 

$

286

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

22


 

notes to condensed interim consolidated financial statements

(unaudited)

 

 

 

Items that may subsequently be reclassified to income

 

Item never
reclassified to
income

 

 

 

Item never
reclassified to
income

 

 

 

 

 

Change in unrealized fair value of derivatives designated as cash flow hedges in current period (Note 4(e))

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Derivatives used to manage currency risk

 

Derivatives used to manage other market risks

 

 

 

Cumulative

 

Change in

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Periods ended June 30 (millions)

 

Gains 
(losses) 
arising

 

Prior period 
(gains) losses 
transferred to
net income

 

Total

 

Gains 
(losses) 
arising

 

Prior period
(gains) losses
transferred to
net income

 

Total

 

Total

 

foreign 
currency 
translation
adjustment

 

measurement
of investment
financial 
assets

 

Accumulated
other
comp. income

 

Employee
defined benefit
plan
re-measurements

 

Other
comp. income

 

SIX-MONTH

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Accumulated balance as at January 1, 2019

 

 

 

 

 

$

(19

)

 

 

 

 

$

 

$

(19

)

$

22

 

$

 

$

 

 

 

 

 

Other comprehensive income (loss)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Amount arising

 

$

(166

)

$

114

 

(52

)

$

5

 

$

(6

)

(1

)

(53

)

17

 

 

(36

)

$

49

 

$

13

 

Income taxes

 

$

(32

)

$

18

 

(14

)

$

1

 

$

(1

)

 

(14

)

 

 

(14

)

17

 

3

 

Net

 

 

 

 

 

(38

)

 

 

 

 

(1

)

(39

)

17

 

 

(22

)

$

32

 

$

10

 

Accumulated balance as at June 30, 2019

 

 

 

 

 

$

(57

)

 

 

 

 

$

(1

)

$

(58

)

$

39

 

$

 

$

(19

)

 

 

 

 

Accumulated balance as at January 1, 2020

 

 

 

 

 

$

66

 

 

 

 

 

$

(1

)

$

65

 

$

42

 

$

12

 

$

119

 

 

 

 

 

Other comprehensive income (loss)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Amount arising

 

$

420

 

$

(230

)

190

 

$

(10

)

$

1

 

(9

)

181

 

42

 

 

223

 

$

(475

)

$

(252

)

Income taxes

 

$

100

 

$

(42

)

58

 

$

(2

)

$

 

(2

)

56

 

 

 

56

 

(122

)

(66

)

Net

 

 

 

 

 

132

 

 

 

 

 

(7

)

125

 

42

 

 

167

 

$

(353

)

$

(186

)

Accumulated balance as at June 30, 2020

 

 

 

 

 

$

198

 

 

 

 

 

$

(8

)

$

190

 

$

84

 

$

12

 

$

286

 

 

 

 

 

Attributable to:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Common Shares

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

$

283

 

 

 

 

 

Non-controlling interests

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

3

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

$

286

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

23


 

 

notes to condensed interim consolidated financial statements

(unaudited)

 

12          per share amounts

 

Basic net income per Common Share is calculated by dividing net income attributable to Common Shares by the total weighted average number of Common Shares outstanding during the period. Diluted net income per Common Share is calculated to give effect to share option awards and restricted share units.

 

The following table presents reconciliations of the denominators of the basic and diluted per share computations. Net income was equal to diluted net income for all periods presented.

 

 

 

Three months

 

Six months

 

Periods ended June 30 (millions)

 

2020

 

2019*

 

2020

 

2019*

 

Basic total weighted average number of Common Shares outstanding

 

1,278

 

1,203

 

1,263

 

1,202

 

Effect of dilutive securities — Restricted share units

 

2

 

 

1

 

 

Diluted total weighted average number of Common Shares outstanding

 

1,280

 

1,203

 

1,264

 

1,202

 

 

For the three-month and six-month periods ended June 30, 2020, no outstanding equity-settled restricted share unit awards were excluded in the computation of diluted income per common share. For the three-month and six-month periods ended June 30, 2020, NIL and 2 million, respectively, outstanding TELUS Corporation share option awards were excluded in the calculation of diluted net income per Common Share.

 

13          dividends per share

 

(a)         Dividends declared

 

Six-month periods ended June 30
(millions except per share
amounts)

 

2020

 

2019

 

 

 

Declared

 

Paid to

 

 

 

Declared

 

Paid to

 

 

 

Common Share dividends

 

Effective

 

Per share*

 

shareholders

 

Total

 

Effective

 

Per share*

 

shareholders

 

Total

 

Quarter 1 dividend

 

Mar. 11, 2020

 

$

0.29125

 

Apr. 1, 2020

 

$

371

 

Mar. 11, 2019

 

$

0.27250

 

Apr. 1, 2019

 

$

329

 

Quarter 2 dividend

 

Jun. 10, 2020

 

0.29125

 

Jul. 2, 2020

 

372

 

Jun. 10, 2019

 

0.28125

 

Jul. 2, 2019

 

339

 

 

 

 

 

$

0.58250

 

 

 

$

743

 

 

 

$

0.55375

 

 

 

$

668

 

 

On July 30, 2020, the Board of Directors declared a quarterly dividend of $0.29125 per share on our issued and outstanding Common Shares payable on October 1, 2020, to holders of record at the close of business on September 10, 2020. The final amount of the dividend payment depends upon the number of Common Shares issued and outstanding at the close of business on September 10, 2020.

 

(b)   Dividend Reinvestment and Share Purchase Plan

 

We have a Dividend Reinvestment and Share Purchase Plan under which eligible holders of Common Shares may acquire additional Common Shares by reinvesting dividends and by making additional optional cash payments to the trustee. Under this plan, we have the option of offering Common Shares from Treasury or having the trustee acquire Common Shares in the stock market. We may, at our discretion, offer Common Shares at a discount of up to 5% from the market price under the plan. Effective with our dividends paid October 1, 2019, we offered Common Shares from Treasury at a discount of 2%. In respect of Common Shares held by eligible shareholders who have elected to participate in the plan, dividends declared during the three-month and six-month periods ended June 30, 2020, of $131 million (2019 — $15 million) and $253 million (2019 — $28 million), respectively, were to be reinvested in Common Shares.

 


* Amounts reflect retrospective application of March 17, 2020, share split (see Note 28(b)).

 

 

24


 

notes to condensed interim consolidated financial statements

(unaudited)

 

14          share-based compensation

 

(a)         Details of share-based compensation expense

 

Reflected in the Consolidated statements of income and other comprehensive income as Employee benefits expense and in the Consolidated statements of cash flows are the following share-based compensation amounts:

 

Periods ended June 30 (millions)

 

 

 

2020

 

2019

 

 

 

Note

 

Employee
benefits
expense

 

Associated
operating
cash
outflows

 

Statement
of cash
flows
adjustment

 

Employee
benefits
expense

 

Associated
operating
cash
outflows

 

Statement
of cash
flows
adjustment

 

THREE-MONTH

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Restricted share units

 

(b)

 

$

38

 

$

 

$

38

 

$

17

 

$

(1

)

$

16

 

Employee share purchase plan

 

(c)

 

5

 

(5

)

 

9

 

(9

)

 

Share option awards

 

(d)

 

3

 

 

3

 

4

 

 

4

 

 

 

 

 

$

46

 

$

(5

)

$

41

 

$

30

 

$

(10

)

$

20

 

SIX-MONTH

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Restricted share units

 

(b)

 

$

60

 

$

 

$

60

 

$

40

 

$

(7

)

$

33

 

Employee share purchase plan

 

(c)

 

14

 

(14

)

 

18

 

(18

)

 

Share option awards

 

(d)

 

4

 

 

4

 

6

 

 

6

 

 

 

 

 

$

78

 

$

(14

)

$

64

 

$

64

 

$

(25

)

$

39

 

 

For the three-month and six-month periods ended June 30, 2020, the associated operating cash outflows in respect of restricted share units were net of cash inflows arising from cash-settled equity forward agreements of $1 million (2019 — $2 million) and $2 million (2019 — $3 million), respectively. For the three-month and six-month periods ended June 30, 2020, the income tax benefit arising from share-based compensation was $11 million (2019 — $8 million) and $19 million (2019 — $17 million), respectively.

 

(b)         Restricted share units

 

TELUS Corporation restricted share units

 

We also award restricted share units that largely have the same features as our general restricted share units, but have a variable payout (0% — 200%) that depends upon the achievement of our total customer connections performance condition (with a weighting of 25%) and the total shareholder return on our Common Shares relative to an international peer group of telecommunications companies (with a weighting of 75%). The grant-date fair value of the notional subset of our restricted share units affected by the total customer connections performance condition equals the fair market value of the corresponding Common Shares at the grant date, and thus the notional subset has been included in the presentation of our restricted share units with only service conditions. The estimate, which reflects a variable payout, of the fair value of the notional subset of our restricted share units affected by the relative total shareholder return performance condition is determined using a Monte Carlo simulation. Grants of restricted share units in 2019 are accounted for as equity-settled as that was their expected manner of settlement when granted.

 

The following table presents a summary of outstanding TELUS Corporation non-vested restricted share units.

 

Number of non-vested restricted share units as at

 

June 30,
2020
*

 

December 31,
2019*

 

Restricted share units without market performance conditions

 

 

 

 

 

Restricted share units with only service conditions

 

8,930,974

 

6,186,854

 

Notional subset affected by total customer connections performance condition

 

449,850

 

282,100

 

 

 

9,380,824

 

6,468,954

 

Restricted share units with market performance conditions

 

 

 

 

 

Notional subset affected by relative total shareholder return performance condition

 

1,349,549

 

846,298

 

 

 

10,730,373

 

7,315,252

 

 


* Amounts reflect retrospective application of March 17, 2020, share split (see Note 28(b)).

 

 

25


 

notes to condensed interim consolidated financial statements

(unaudited)

 

The following table presents a summary of the activity related to TELUS Corporation restricted share units without market performance conditions.

 

Periods ended June 30, 2020

 

Three months

 

Six months

 

 

 

Number of restricted
share units
 1

 

Weighted
average
grant-date

 

Number of restricted
share units
 1

 

Weighted
average
grant-date

 

 

 

Non-vested

 

Vested

 

fair value

 

Non-vested

 

Vested

 

fair value

 

Outstanding, beginning of period *

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Non-vested

 

9,060,044

 

 

$

24.06

 

6,468,954

 

 

$

23.37

 

Vested

 

 

12,342

 

$

19.10

 

 

30,800

 

$

22.02

 

Issued

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Initial award

 

288,443

 

 

$

22.63

 

2,910,882

 

 

$

25.40

 

In lieu of dividends

 

121,198

 

308

 

$

21.52

 

195,615

 

308

 

$

22.92

 

Vested

 

(17,008

)

17,008

 

$

24.00

 

(28,311

)

28,311

 

$

23.84

 

Settled in cash

 

 

(17,149

)

$

24.01

 

 

(46,910

)

$

23.89

 

Forfeited and cancelled

 

(71,853

)

 

$

24.29

 

(166,316

)

 

$

23.80

 

Outstanding, end of period

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Non-vested

 

9,380,824

 

 

$

23.98

 

9,380,824

 

 

$

23.98

 

Vested

 

 

12,509

 

$

19.15

 

 

12,509

 

$

19.15

 

 


(1)         Excluding the notional subset of restricted share units affected by the relative total shareholder return performance condition.

 

With respect to 2.9 million TELUS Corporation restricted share units vesting in the year ending December 31, 2020, we have entered into cash-settled equity forward agreements that fix our cost at $24.39 per restricted share unit.

 

TELUS International (Cda) Inc. restricted share units

 

We also award restricted share units that largely have the same features as the TELUS Corporation restricted share units, but have a variable payout (0% — 150%) that depends upon the achievement of TELUS International (Cda) Inc. financial performance and non-market quality-of-service performance conditions.

 

The following table presents a summary of the activity related to TELUS International (Cda) Inc. restricted share units.

 

Periods ended June 30, 2020

 

Three months

 

Six months

 

 

 

Number of
non-vested
restricted
share units

 

Weighted
average
grant-date
fair value

 

Number of
non-vested
restricted
share units

 

Weighted
average
grant-date
fair value

 

Outstanding, beginning of period

 

463,978

 

US$

27.55

 

465,245

 

US$

27.49

 

Granted

 

59,929

 

US$

52.85

 

59,929

 

US$

52.85

 

Forfeited

 

(1,475

)

US$

27.81

 

(2,742

)

US$

27.93

 

Outstanding, end of period

 

522,432

 

US$

30.45

 

522,432

 

US$

30.45

 

 

(c)          Employee share purchase plan

 

We have an employee share purchase plan under which eligible employees up to a certain job classification can purchase our Common Shares through regular payroll deductions. In respect of Common Shares held within the employee share purchase plan, Common Share dividends declared during the three-month and six-month periods ended June 30, 2020, of $9 million (2019 — $8 million) and $18 million (2019 — $17 million), respectively, were to be reinvested in Common Shares acquired by the trustee from Treasury, with no discount applicable prior to October 1, 2019; subsequent to that date, a discount was applicable as set out in Note 13(b).

 

(d)         Share option awards

 

TELUS Corporation share options

 

Employees may be granted options to purchase Common Shares at an exercise price equal to the fair market value at the time of grant. Share option awards granted under the plan may be exercised over specific periods not to exceed seven years from the time of grant. No share option awards were granted in fiscal 2019.

 

These share option awards have a net-equity settlement feature. The optionee does not have the choice of exercising the net-equity settlement feature; it is at our option whether the exercise of a share option award is settled as a share option or settled using the net-equity settlement feature.

 


* Amounts reflect retrospective application of March 17, 2020, share split (see Note 28(b)).

 

 

26


 

notes to condensed interim consolidated financial statements

(unaudited)

 

The following table presents a summary of the activity related to the TELUS Corporation share option plan.

 

Periods ended June 30, 2020

 

Three months

 

Six months

 

 

 

Number of
share
options

 

Weighted
average share
option price

 

Number of
share
options

 

Weighted
average share
option price
 1

 

Outstanding, beginning of period*

 

2,522,700

 

$

21.19

 

 

$

 

Granted

 

558,600

 

$

22.88

 

3,081,300

 

$

21.50

 

Forfeited

 

(6,300

)

$

21.19

 

(6,300

)

$

21.19

 

Outstanding, end of period

 

3,075,000

 

$

21.50

 

3,075,000

 

$

21.50

 

 


(1)         The weighted average remaining contractual life is 6.8 years. No options were exercisable as at the balance sheet date.

 

The weighted average fair value of share option awards granted, and the weighted average assumptions used in the fair value estimation at the time of grant, calculated by using the Black-Scholes model (a closed-form option pricing model), are as follows:

 

Periods ended June 30, 2020

 

Three months

 

Six months

 

Share option award fair value (per share option)

 

$

0.63

 

$

0.65

 

Risk free interest rate

 

0.37

%

0.97

%

Expected lives(1) (years)

 

4.25

 

4.25

 

Expected volatility

 

12.1

%

12.3

%

Dividend yield

 

5.1

%

5.4

%

 


(1)         The maximum contractual term of the share option awards granted in 2020 was seven years.

 

Share option awards have a net-equity settlement feature. The optionee does not have the choice of exercising the net-equity settlement feature; it is at our option whether the exercise of a share option award is settled as a share option or settled using the net-equity settlement feature.

 

TELUS International (Cda) Inc. share options

 

Employees may receive equity share options (equity-settled) to purchase TELUS International (Cda) Inc. common shares at a price equal to, or a multiple of, the fair market value at the time of grant and/or phantom share options (cash-settled) that provide them with exposure to TELUS International (Cda) Inc. common share price appreciation. Share option awards granted under the plan may be exercised over specific periods not to exceed ten years from the time of grant. All equity share option awards and most phantom share option awards have a variable payout (0% — 100%) that depends upon the achievement of TELUS International (Cda) Inc. financial performance and non-market quality-of-service performance conditions.

 

The following table presents a summary of the activity related to the TELUS International (Cda) Inc. share option plan.

 

Periods ended June 30, 2020

 

Three months and six months

 

 

 

US$ denominated

 

Canadian $ denominated

 

 

 

Number
of share
options

 

Weighted
average
share option
price
 1

 

Number
of share
options

 

Share
option
price
 2

 

Outstanding, beginning and end of period

 

996,620

 

US$

31.11

 

53,832

 

$

21.36

 

 


(1)         The range of share option prices is US$21.90 — US$40.26 per TELUS International (Cda) Inc. equity share and the weighted average remaining contractual life is 7.0 years.

(2)         The weighted average remaining contractual life is 5.9 years.

 

* Amounts reflect retrospective application of March 17, 2020, share split (see Note 28(b)).

 

 

27


 

notes to condensed interim consolidated financial statements

 

(unaudited)

 

15          employee future benefits

 

(a)         Defined benefit pension plans — details

 

Our defined benefit pension plan expense (recovery) was as follows:

 

Three-month periods ended June 30 
(millions)

 

2020

 

2019

 

Recognized in

 

Employee 
benefits 
expense 
(Note 8)

 

Financing 
costs 
(Note 9)

 

Other 
comp. 
income 
(Note 11)

 

Total

 

Employee 
benefits 
expense 
(Note 8)

 

Financing 
costs 
(Note 9)

 

Other 
comp. 
income 
(Note 11)

 

Total

 

Current service cost

 

$

23

 

$

 

$

 

$

23

 

$

18

 

$

 

$

 

$

18

 

Past service costs

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Net interest; return on plan assets

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Interest expense arising from defined benefit obligations accrued

 

 

74

 

 

74

 

 

83

 

 

83

 

Return, including interest income, on plan assets 1

 

 

(71

)

(467

)

(538

)

 

(86

)

(131

)

(217

)

Interest effect on asset ceiling limit

 

 

1

 

 

1

 

 

3

 

 

3

 

 

 

 

4

 

(467

)

(463

)

 

 

(131

)

(131

)

Administrative fees

 

2

 

 

 

2

 

1

 

 

 

1

 

Re-measurements arising from:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Financial assumptions 2

 

 

 

1,396

 

1,396

 

 

 

 

 

Changes in the effect of limiting net defined benefit assets to the asset ceiling

 

 

 

(28

)

(28

)

 

 

115

 

115

 

 

 

$

25

 

$

4

 

$

901

 

$

930

 

$

19

 

$

 

$

(16

)

$

3

 

 

Six-month periods ended June 30 
(millions)

 

2020

 

2019

 

Recognized in

 

Employee 
benefits 
expense 
(Note 8)

 

Financing 
costs 
(Note 9)

 

Other 
comp. 
income 
(Note 11)

 

Total

 

Employee
 benefits 
expense 
(Note 8)

 

Financing 
costs 
(Note 9)

 

Other 
comp. 
income 
(Note 11)

 

Total

 

Current service cost

 

$

46

 

$

 

$

 

$

46

 

$

36

 

$

 

$

 

$

36

 

Past service costs

 

3

 

 

 

3

 

 

 

 

 

Net interest; return on plan assets

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Interest expense arising from defined benefit obligations accrued

 

 

148

 

 

148

 

 

167

 

 

167

 

Return, including interest income, on plan assets 1

 

 

(142

)

(32

)

(174

)

 

(172

)

(490

)

(662

)

Interest effect on asset ceiling limit

 

 

2

 

 

2

 

 

5

 

 

5

 

 

 

 

8

 

(32

)

(24

)

 

 

(490

)

(490

)

Administrative fees

 

3

 

 

 

3

 

3

 

 

 

3

 

Re-measurements arising from:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Financial assumptions 2

 

 

 

507

 

507

 

 

 

 

 

Changes in the effect of limiting net defined benefit assets to the asset ceiling

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

441

 

441

 

 

 

$

52

 

$

8

 

$

475

 

$

535

 

$

39

 

$

 

$

(49

)

$

(10

)

 


(1)         The interest income on the plan assets portion of the employee defined benefit plans net interest amount included in Financing costs reflects a rate of return on plan assets equal to the discount rate used in determining the defined benefit obligations accrued.

(2)         The discount rate used to estimate the defined benefit obligations accrued as at June 30, 2020, was 2.75% (December 31, 2019 — 3.10%).

 

(b)         Defined contribution plans — expense

 

Our total defined contribution pension plan costs recognized were as follows:

 

 

 

Three months

 

Six months

 

Periods ended June 30 (millions)

 

2020

 

2019

 

2020

 

2019

 

Union pension plan and public service pension plan contributions

 

$

5

 

$

5

 

$

10

 

$

11

 

Other defined contribution pension plans

 

20

 

15

 

36

 

32

 

 

 

$

25

 

$

20

 

$

46

 

$

43

 

 

 

28


 

notes to condensed interim consolidated financial statements

 

(unaudited)

 

16          restructuring and other costs

 

(a)         Details of restructuring and other costs

 

With the objective of reducing ongoing costs, we incur associated incremental non-recurring restructuring costs, as discussed further in (b) following. We may also incur atypical charges when undertaking major or transformational changes to our business or operating models or post-acquisition business integration. In other costs, we include incremental atypical external costs incurred in connection with business acquisition or disposition activity, as well as significant litigation costs, in respect of losses or settlements, adverse retrospective regulatory decisions and certain incremental atypical costs incurred due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

 

Restructuring and other costs are presented in the Consolidated statements of income and other comprehensive income, as set out in the following table:

 

 

 

Restructuring (b)

 

Other (c)

 

Total

 

Periods ended June 30 (millions)

 

2020

 

2019

 

2020

 

2019

 

2020

 

2019

 

THREE-MONTH

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Goods and services purchased

 

$

43

 

$

7

 

$

17

 

$

1

 

$

60

 

$

8

 

Employee benefits expense

 

10

 

19

 

 

2

 

10

 

21

 

 

 

$

53

 

$

26

 

$

17

 

$

3

 

$

70

 

$

29

 

SIX-MONTH

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Goods and services purchased

 

$

89

 

$

19

 

$

21

 

$

7

 

$

110

 

$

26

 

Employee benefits expense

 

20

 

34

 

 

5

 

20

 

39

 

 

 

$

109

 

$

53

 

$

21

 

$

12

 

$

130

 

$

65

 

 

(b)   Restructuring provisions

 

Employee-related provisions and other provisions, as presented in Note 25, include amounts in respect of restructuring activities. In 2020, restructuring activities included ongoing and incremental efficiency initiatives, some of which involved personnel-related costs and rationalization of real estate. These initiatives were intended to improve our long-term operating productivity and competitiveness.

 

(c)   Other

 

During the three-month and six-month periods ended June 30, 2020, incremental external costs were incurred in connection with business acquisition activity. In connection with business acquisitions, non-recurring atypical business integration expenditures that would be considered neither restructuring costs nor part of the fair value of the net assets acquired have been included in other costs.

 

Also during the three-month and six-month periods ended June 30, 2020, other costs were incurred in connection with the COVID-19 pandemic. Incremental costs were incurred due to proactive steps we elected to take to keep our customers and employees safe, including adjustments to real estate cleaning and maintenance frequency, among other items. As well, costs that have been incurred in the normal course but which are unable to contribute normally to the earning of revenues have been deemed atypical.

 

 

29


 

notes to condensed interim consolidated financial statements

 

(unaudited)

 

17          property, plant and equipment

 

 

 

 

 

Owned assets

 

Right-of-use lease assets (Note 19)

 

 

 

(millions) 

 

Note

 

Network 
assets

 

Buildings and 
leasehold 
improvements

 

Other

 

Land

 

Assets under 
construction

 

Total

 

Network 
assets

 

Real 
estate

 

Other

 

Total

 

Total

 

AT COST

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

As at January 1, 2020

 

 

 

$

31,713

 

$

3,314

 

$

1,373

 

$

48

 

$

421

 

$

36,869

 

$

219

 

$

1,267

 

$

60

 

$

1,546

 

$

38,415

 

Additions

 

 

 

393

 

15

 

24

 

5

 

666

 

1,103

 

54

 

131

 

7

 

192

 

1,295

 

Additions arising from business acquisitions

 

18(b)

 

4

 

12

 

7

 

 

 

23

 

 

41

 

1

 

42

 

65

 

Dispositions, retirements and other

 

 

 

(379

)

1

 

(122

)

 

 

(500

)

1

 

(24

)

(9

)

(32

)

(532

)

Assets under construction put into service

 

 

 

263

 

39

 

55

 

 

(357

)

 

 

 

 

 

 

Net foreign exchange differences

 

 

 

2

 

5

 

9

 

 

 

16

 

 

13

 

 

13

 

29

 

As at June 30, 2020

 

 

 

$

31,996

 

$

3,386

 

$

1,346

 

$

53

 

$

730

 

$

37,511

 

$

274

 

$

1,428

 

$

59

 

$

1,761

 

$

39,272

 

ACCUMULATED DEPRECIATION

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

As at January 1, 2020

 

 

 

$

21,060

 

$

2,052

 

$

875

 

$

 

$

 

$

23,987

 

$

6

 

$

174

 

$

16

 

$

196

 

$

24,183

 

Depreciation 1

 

 

 

767

 

62

 

75

 

 

 

904

 

14

 

101

 

9

 

124

 

1,028

 

Dispositions, retirements and other

 

 

 

(387

)

(10

)

(106

)

 

 

(503

)

 

(3

)

(3

)

(6

)

(509

)

Net foreign exchange differences

 

 

 

1

 

2

 

6

 

 

 

9

 

 

2

 

 

2

 

11

 

As at June 30, 2020

 

 

 

$

21,441

 

$

2,106

 

$

850

 

$

 

$

 

$

24,397

 

$

20

 

$

274

 

$

22

 

$

316

 

$

24,713

 

NET BOOK VALUE

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

As at December 31, 2019

 

 

 

$

10,653

 

$

1,262

 

$

498

 

$

48

 

$

421

 

$

12,882

 

$

213

 

$

1,093

 

$

44

 

$

1,350

 

$

14,232

 

As at June 30, 2020

 

 

 

$

10,555

 

$

1,280

 

$

496

 

$

53

 

$

730

 

$

13,114

 

$

254

 

$

1,154

 

$

37

 

$

1,445

 

$

14,559

 

 


(1)         For the six-month period ended June 30, 2020, depreciation includes $5 in respect of impairment of real estate right-of-use lease assets.

 

As at June 30, 2020, our contractual commitments for the acquisition of property, plant and equipment totalled $205 million over a period ending December 31, 2022 (December 31, 2019 — $136 million over a period ending December 31, 2022).

 

 

30


 

notes to condensed interim consolidated financial statements

 

(unaudited)

 

18          intangible assets and goodwill

 

(a)         Intangible assets and goodwill, net

 

 

 

 

 

Intangible assets subject to amortization

 

Intangible 
assets with 
indefinite lives

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(millions) 

 

Note 

 

Customer contracts,
related customer 
relationships and 
subscriber base

 

Software 1

 

Access to 
rights-of-way 
and other

 

Assets 
under 
construction

 

Total

 

Spectrum 
licences

 

Total 
intangible 
assets

 

Goodwill 1, 2

 

Total 
intangible 
assets and 
goodwill

 

AT COST

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

As at January 1, 2020

 

 

 

$

1,032

 

$

5,870

 

$

135

 

$

254

 

$

7,291

 

$

9,937

 

$

17,228

 

$

5,673

 

$

22,901

 

Additions

 

 

 

 

42

 

1

 

281

 

324

 

 

324

 

 

324

 

Additions arising from business acquisitions

 

(b)

 

735

 

20

 

47

 

 

802

 

9

 

811

 

772

 

1,583

 

Dispositions, retirements and other (including capitalized interest)

 

 

48

 

(333

)

(29

)

 

(314

)

17

 

(297

)

 

(297

)

Assets under construction put into service

 

 

 

 

232

 

 

(232

)

 

 

 

 

 

Net foreign exchange differences

 

 

 

37

 

2

 

 

 

39

 

 

39

 

51

 

90

 

As at June 30, 2020

 

 

 

$

1,852

 

$

5,833

 

$

154

 

$

303

 

$

8,142

 

$

9,963

 

$

18,105

 

$

6,496

 

$

24,601

 

ACCUMULATED AMORTIZATION

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

As at January 1, 2020

 

 

 

$

285

 

$

4,028

 

$

71

 

$

 

$

4,384

 

$

 

$

4,384

 

$

364

 

$

4,748

 

Amortization

 

 

 

97

 

322

 

3

 

 

422

 

 

422

 

 

422

 

Dispositions, retirements and other

 

 

 

(13

)

(334

)

3

 

 

(344

)

 

(344

)

 

(344

)

Net foreign exchange differences

 

 

 

12

 

1

 

 

 

13

 

 

13

 

 

13

 

As at June 30, 2020

 

 

 

$

381

 

$

4,017

 

$

77

 

$

 

$

4,475

 

$

 

$

4,475

 

$

364

 

$

4,839

 

NET BOOK VALUE

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

As at December 31, 2019

 

 

 

$

747

 

$

1,842

 

$

64

 

$

254

 

$

2,907

 

$

9,937

 

$

12,844

 

$

5,309

 

$

18,153

 

As at June 30, 2020

 

 

 

$

1,471

 

$

1,816

 

$

77

 

$

303

 

$

3,667

 

$

9,963

 

$

13,630

 

$

6,132

 

$

19,762

 

 


(1)         The opening balance of software and goodwill have been adjusted as set out in (c).

(2)         Accumulated amortization of goodwill is amortization recorded prior to 2002; there are no accumulated impairment losses in the accumulated amortization of goodwill.

 

As at June 30, 2020, our contractual commitments for the acquisition of intangible assets totalled $48 million over a period ending December 31, 2024 (December 31, 2019 — $45 million over a period ending December 31, 2024).

 

GRAPHIC

 

31


 

notes to condensed interim consolidated financial statements

 

(unaudited)

 

(b)         Business acquisitions

 

Competence Call Center

 

On January 31, 2020, we acquired 100% of Competence Call Center, a provider of higher-value-added business services with a focus on customer relationship management and content moderation. The acquisition is complementary to, and was made with a view to growing, our existing lines of business and has been consolidated with our TELUS International (Cda) Inc. subsidiary.

 

The primary factor that contributed to the recognition of goodwill was the earnings capacity of the acquired business in excess of the net tangible and intangible assets acquired (such excess arising from the acquired workforce and the benefits of acquiring an established business). The amount assigned to goodwill is not expected to be deductible for income tax purposes.

 

Individually immaterial transactions

 

During the six-month period ended June 30, 2020, we acquired 100% ownership of businesses complementary to our existing lines of business. The primary factor that gave rise to the recognition of goodwill was the earnings capacity of the acquired businesses in excess of the net tangible and intangible assets acquired (such excess arising from the low level of tangible assets relative to the earnings capacities of the businesses). A portion of the amounts assigned to goodwill may be deductible for income tax purposes.

 

Acquisition-date fair values

 

Acquisition-date fair values assigned to the assets acquired and liabilities assumed are set out in the following table:

 

 

 

Competence 
Call Center

 

Individually 
immaterial 
transactions

 

Total 1

 

Assets

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Current assets

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Cash

 

$

90

 

$

1

 

$

91

 

Accounts receivable 2

 

64

 

2

 

66

 

Other

 

2

 

1

 

3

 

 

 

156

 

4

 

160

 

Non-current assets

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Property, plant and equipment

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Owned assets

 

21

 

2

 

23

 

Right-of-use lease assets

 

40

 

2

 

42

 

Intangible assets subject to amortization 3

 

754

 

48

 

802

 

Intangible assets with indefinite lives

 

 

9

 

9

 

Other

 

2

 

 

2

 

 

 

817

 

61

 

878

 

Total identifiable assets acquired

 

973

 

65

 

1,038

 

Liabilities

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Current liabilities

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Accounts payable and accrued liabilities

 

42

 

4

 

46

 

Income and other taxes payable

 

65

 

 

65

 

Advance billings and customer deposits

 

 

5

 

5

 

Current maturities of long-term debt

 

11

 

5

 

16

 

 

 

118

 

14

 

132

 

Non-current liabilities

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Long-term debt

 

214

 

1

 

215

 

Deferred income taxes

 

218

 

10

 

228

 

 

 

432

 

11

 

443

 

Total liabilities assumed

 

550

 

25

 

575

 

Net identifiable assets acquired

 

423

 

40

 

463

 

Goodwill

 

724

 

48

 

772

 

Net assets acquired

 

$

1,147

 

$

88

 

$

1,235

 

Acquisition effected by way of:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Cash consideration

 

$

1,147

 

$

84

 

$

1,231

 

Accounts payable and accrued liabilities

 

 

4

 

4

 

 

 

$

1,147

 

$

88

 

$

1,235

 

 


(1)         The purchase price allocation, primarily in respect of customer contracts, related customer relationships and leasehold interests and deferred income taxes, had not been finalized as of the date of issuance of these consolidated financial statements. As is customary in a business acquisition transaction, until the time of

 

 

32


 

notes to condensed interim consolidated financial statements

 

(unaudited)

 

acquisition of control, we did not have full access to the books and records of the acquired businesses. Upon having sufficient time to review the books and records of the acquired businesses, we expect to finalize our purchase price allocations.

(2)         The fair value of accounts receivable is equal to the gross contractual amounts receivable and reflects the best estimates at the acquisition dates of the contractual cash flows expected to be collected.

(3)         Customer contracts and customer relationships (including those related to customer contracts) are generally expected to be amortized over periods of 10 years; software is expected to be amortized over periods of 3-5 years.

 

Pro forma disclosures

 

The following pro forma supplemental information represents certain results of operations as if the business acquisitions noted above had been completed at the beginning of the fiscal 2020 year.

 

 

 

Three months

 

Six months

 

Periods ended June 30, 2020 (millions except per share amounts)

 

As reported 1

 

Pro forma 2

 

As reported 1

 

Pro forma 2

 

Operating revenues

 

$

3,728

 

$

3,730

 

$

7,422

 

$

7,475

 

Net income

 

$

315

 

$

315

 

$

668

 

$

668

 

Net income per Common Share*

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Basic

 

$

0.23

 

$

0.23

 

$

0.51

 

$

0.51

 

Diluted

 

$

0.23

 

$

0.23

 

$

0.51

 

$

0.51

 

 


(1)         Operating revenues and net income for the three-month period ended June 30, 2020, include: $141 and $9, respectively, in respect of Competence Call Center. Operating revenues and net income (loss) for the six-month period ended June 30, 2020, include: $226 and $(11), respectively, in respect of Competence Call Center.

(2)         Pro forma amounts for the three-month and six-month periods ended June 30, 2020, reflect the acquired businesses. The results of the acquired businesses have been included in our Consolidated statements of income and other comprehensive income effective the dates of acquisition.

 

The pro forma supplemental information is based on estimates and assumptions that are believed to be reasonable. The pro forma supplemental information is not necessarily indicative of our consolidated financial results in future periods or the actual results that would have been realized had the business acquisitions been completed at the beginning of the periods presented. The pro forma supplemental information includes incremental property, plant and equipment depreciation, intangible asset amortization, financing and other charges as a result of the acquisitions, net of the related tax effects.

 

(c)          Business acquisitions — prior period

 

In 2019, we acquired businesses that were complimentary to our existing lines of business. As at December 31, 2019, purchase price allocations had not been finalized. During the six-month period ended June 30, 2020, the preliminary acquisition-date values for software, goodwill and deferred income taxes were increased (decreased)  by $32 million, $(22 million) and $10 million, respectively; as required by IFRS-IASB, comparative amounts have been adjusted so as to reflect those increases (decreases) effective the acquisition date.

 

(d)         Business acquisitions — subsequent to reporting period

 

Mobile Klinik

 

On July 1, 2020, we acquired 100% of Mobile Klinik, a storefront wireless device repair and sales business complementary to our existing wireless lines of business. Consideration of $165 million consisted of: cash of $138 million; working capital adjustments; and contingent consideration of $31 million, payment of which is dependent upon achieving revenue, profitability, store expansion and wireless subscriber addition targets through 2023. The investment was made with a view to growing our wireless business.

 

As of July 31, 2020, our initial provision for the net identifiable assets is in the range of $65 million — $85 million; as is customary in a business acquisition transaction, until the time of acquisition of control, we did not have full access to the books and records of the acquired business. Upon having sufficient time to review the books and records of the acquired business, as well as obtaining new and additional information about the facts and circumstances as of the acquisition date, we will adjust the provisional amounts for identifiable assets acquired and liabilities assumed and thus finalize our purchase price allocation.

 

19          leases

 

Maturity analyses of lease liabilities are set out in Note 4(b) and Note 26(g); the period interest expense in respect thereof is set out in Note 9. The additions to, the depreciation charges for, and the carrying amount of, right-of-use lease assets are set out in Note 17. We have not currently elected to exclude low-value and short-term leases from lease accounting.

 


* Amounts reflect retrospective application of March 17, 2020, share split (see Note 28(b)).

 

 

33


 

notes to condensed interim consolidated financial statements

 

(unaudited)

 

 

 

 

 

Three months

 

Six months

 

Periods ended June 30 (millions) 

 

Note

 

2020

 

2019

 

2020

 

2019

 

Income from subleasing right-of-use lease assets

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Co-location sublet revenue included in operating service revenues

 

 

 

$

5

 

$

4

 

$

9

 

$

9

 

Other sublet revenue included in other operating income

 

7

 

$

 

$

1

 

$

1

 

$

1

 

Lease payments

 

 

 

$

98

 

$

81

 

$

200

 

$

184

 

 

20          other long-term assets

 

As at (millions) 

 

Note

 

June 30, 
2020

 

December 31, 
2019

 

Pension assets

 

 

 

$

1

 

$

155

 

Unbilled customer finance receivables

 

4(a)

 

319

 

225

 

Derivative assets

 

4(d)

 

413

 

76

 

Costs incurred to obtain or fulfill a contract with a customer

 

 

 

100

 

109

 

Real estate joint venture advances

 

21(b)

 

114

 

104

 

Investment in real estate joint venture

 

21(b)

 

2

 

3

 

Investment in associate

 

21

 

72

 

 

Portfolio investments 1

 

 

 

122

 

110

 

Prepaid maintenance

 

 

 

61

 

55

 

Other

 

 

 

151

 

82

 

 

 

 

 

$

1,355

 

$

919

 

 


(1)         Fair value measured at reporting date using significant other observable inputs (Level 2).

 

The costs incurred to obtain and fulfill contracts with customers are set out in the following table:

 

Periods ended June 30, 2020 (millions)

 

Three months

 

Six months

 

 

 

Costs incurred to

 

 

 

Costs incurred to

 

 

 

 

 

Obtain 
contracts with 
customers

 

Fulfill contracts
 with customers

 

Total

 

Obtain 
contracts with
 customers

 

Fulfill contracts
 with customers

 

Total

 

Balance, beginning of period

 

$

331

 

$

14

 

$

345

 

$

344

 

$

14

 

$

358

 

Additions

 

54

 

1

 

55

 

113

 

2

 

115

 

Amortization

 

(71

)

(1

)

(72

)

(143

)

(2

)

(145

)

Balance, end of period

 

$

314

 

$

14

 

$

328

 

$

314

 

$

14

 

$

328

 

Current 1

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

$

221

 

$

7

 

$

228

 

Non-current

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

93

 

7

 

100

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

$

314

 

$

14

 

$

328

 

 


(1)         Presented on the Consolidated statements of financial position in prepaid expenses.

 

21          real estate joint ventures and investment in associate

 

(a)         General

 

Real estate joint ventures

 

In 2013, we partnered, as equals, with two arm’s-length parties in a residential, retail and commercial real estate redevelopment project, TELUS Sky, in Calgary, Alberta. The new-build tower, scheduled for completion in 2020, is to be built to the LEED Platinum standard.

 

Associate

 

On January 13, 2020, for cash consideration of approximately $73 million, we acquired a 28% basic equity interest in Miovision Technologies Incorporated, an associate that is complementary to, and is viewed to grow, our existing Internet of Things business; our judgment is that we obtained significant influence over the associate concurrent with obtaining the newly acquired equity interest.

 

 

34


 

notes to condensed interim consolidated financial statements

 

(unaudited)

 

(b)         Real estate joint ventures

 

Summarized financial information

 

As at (millions)

 

June 30, 
2020

 

December 31, 
2019

 

As at (millions)

 

June 30, 
2020

 

December 31, 
2019

 

ASSETS

 

 

 

 

 

LIABILITIES AND OWNERS’ EQUITY

 

 

 

 

 

Current assets

 

 

 

 

 

Current liabilities

 

 

 

 

 

Cash and temporary investments, net

 

$

8

 

$

15

 

Accounts payable and accrued liabilities

 

$

40

 

$

25

 

Other

 

17

 

18

 

Construction holdback liabilities

 

 

15

 

 

 

25

 

33

 

 

 

40

 

40

 

Non-current assets

 

 

 

 

 

Non-current liabilities

 

 

 

 

 

Investment property under development

 

331

 

318

 

Construction credit facilities

 

342

 

312

 

Other

 

14

 

2

 

Other

 

 

3

 

 

 

345

 

320

 

 

 

342

 

315

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

382

 

355

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Owners’ equity

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

TELUS 1

 

(3

)

1

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Other partners

 

(9

)

(3

)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(12

)

(2

)

 

 

$

370

 

$

353

 

 

 

$

370

 

$

353

 

 


(1)         The equity amounts recorded by the real estate joint venture differ from those recorded by us by the amount of the deferred gains on our real estate contributed and the valuation provision we have recorded in excess of that recorded by the real estate joint venture.

 

 

 

Three months

 

Six months

 

Periods ended June 30 (millions)

 

2020

 

2019

 

2020

 

2019

 

Revenue

 

$

 

$

 

$

 

$

 

Depreciation and amortization

 

$

 

$

 

$

 

$

 

Interest expense 1

 

$

 

$

 

$

 

$

 

Net income (loss) and comprehensive income (loss) 2

 

$

(31

)

$

 

$

(33

)

$

(1

)

 


(1)         During the three-month and six-month periods ended June 30, 2020, the real estate joint venture capitalized $1 (2019 — $3) and $4 (2019 — $6), respectively, of financing costs.

(2)         As the real estate joint ventures are partnerships, no provision for income taxes of the partners is made in determining the real estate joint ventures’ net income and comprehensive income.

 

Our real estate joint ventures activity

 

Our real estate joint ventures investment activity is set out in the following table.

 

 

 

2020

 

2019

 

Three-month periods ended June 30 (millions)

 

Loans and 
receivables
 1

 

Equity 2

 

Total

 

Loans and 
receivables
 1

 

Equity 2

 

Total

 

Related to real estate joint ventures’ statements of income and other comprehensive income

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Comprehensive income attributable to us 3

 

$

 

$

(10

)

$

(10

)

$

 

$

 

$

 

Related to real estate joint ventures’ statements of financial position

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Items not affecting currently reported cash flows

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Construction credit facilities financing costs charged by us and other (Note 7)

 

1

 

 

1

 

1

 

 

1

 

Cash flows in the current reporting period

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Construction credit facilities

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Amounts advanced

 

3

 

 

3

 

9

 

 

9

 

Financing costs paid to us

 

(1

)

 

(1

)

(1

)

 

(1

)

Funds we advanced or contributed, excluding construction credit facilities

 

 

5

 

5

 

 

 

 

Net increase

 

3

 

(5

)

(2

)

9

 

 

9

 

Real estate joint ventures carrying amounts

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Balance, beginning of period

 

111

 

(10

)

101

 

77

 

5

 

82

 

Valuation provision recorded in beginning of period balance now recorded in joint venture

 

 

6

 

6

 

 

 

 

Balance, end of period

 

$

114

 

$

(9

)

$

105

 

$

86

 

$

5

 

$

91

 

 

 

35


 

notes to condensed interim consolidated financial statements

 

(unaudited)

 

 

 

2020

 

2019

 

Six-month periods ended June 30 (millions)

 

Loans and 
receivables
 1

 

Equity 2

 

Total

 

Loans and 
receivables
 1

 

Equity 2

 

Total

 

Related to real estate joint ventures’ statements of income and other comprehensive income

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Comprehensive income attributable to us 3

 

$

 

$

(11

)

$

(11

)

$

 

$

 

$

 

Related to real estate joint ventures’ statements of financial position

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Items not affecting currently reported cash flows

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Construction credit facilities financing costs charged by us (Note 7)

 

2

 

 

2

 

2

 

 

2

 

Cash flows in the current reporting period

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Construction credit facilities

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Amounts advanced

 

10

 

 

10

 

17

 

 

17

 

Financing costs paid to us

 

(2

)

 

(2

)

(2

)

 

(2

)

Funds we advanced or contributed, excluding construction credit facilities

 

 

5

 

5

 

 

 

 

Funds repaid to us and earnings distributed

 

 

(1

)

(1

)

 

 

 

Net increase

 

10

 

(7

)

3

 

17

 

 

17

 

Real estate joint ventures carrying amounts

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Balance, beginning of period

 

104

 

(2

)

102

 

69

 

5

 

74

 

Balance, end of period

 

$

114

 

$

(9

)

$

105

 

$

86

 

$

5

 

$

91

 

 


(1)         Loans and receivables are included in our Consolidated statements of financial position as Real estate joint venture advances and are comprised of advances under construction credit facilities.

(2)         We account for our interests in the real estate joint ventures using the equity method of accounting. As at June 30, 2020, and December 31, 2019, we had recorded equity losses in excess of our recorded equity investment in respect of one of the real estate joint ventures; such resulting balance has been included in long-term liabilities (Note 27).

(3)         As the real estate joint ventures are partnerships, no provision for income taxes of the partners is made in determining the real estate joint ventures’ net income and comprehensive income.

 

We have entered into a lease agreement with the TELUS Sky real estate joint venture; for lease accounting purposes, the lease commenced during the three-month period ended March 31, 2019.

 

Real estate joint ventures commitments and contingent liabilities

 

Construction commitments

 

The TELUS Sky real estate joint venture is expected to spend a total of approximately $475 million (December 31, 2019 — $450 million) on the construction of a mixed-use tower. As at June 30, 2020, the real estate joint venture’s construction-related contractual commitments were approximately $23 million through to 2020 (December 31, 2019 — $37 million through to 2020).

 

Construction credit facilities

 

The TELUS Sky real estate joint venture has a credit agreement, maturing August 31, 2021, with Canadian financial institutions (as 66-2/3% lender) and TELUS Corporation (as 33-1/3% lender) to provide $342 million of construction financing for the project. The construction credit facilities contain customary real estate construction financing representations, warranties and covenants and are secured by demand debentures constituting first fixed and floating charge mortgages over the underlying real estate assets. The construction credit facilities are available by way of bankers’ acceptance or prime loan and bear interest at rates in line with similar construction financing facilities.

 

As at (millions)

 

Note

 

June 30,
2020

 

December 31, 
2019

 

Construction credit facilities commitment — TELUS Corporation

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Undrawn

 

4(b)

 

$

 

$

10

 

Advances

 

 

 

114

 

104

 

 

 

 

 

114

 

114

 

Construction credit facilities commitment — other

 

 

 

228

 

228

 

 

 

 

 

$

342

 

$

342

 

 

 

36


 

notes to condensed interim consolidated financial statements

 

(unaudited)

 

22          short-term borrowings

 

On July 26, 2002, one of our subsidiaries, TELUS Communications Inc., entered into an agreement with an arm’s-length securitization trust associated with a major Schedule I bank under which it is able to sell an interest in certain trade receivables up to a maximum of $500 million (December 31, 2019 — $500 million). The term of this revolving-period securitization agreement ends December 31, 2021, and it requires minimum cash proceeds of $100 million from monthly sales of interests in certain trade receivables. TELUS Communications Inc. is required to maintain a credit rating of at least BB (December 31, 2019 — BB) from DBRS Limited or the securitization trust may require the sale program to be wound down prior to the end of the term.

 

Sales of trade receivables in securitization transactions are recognized as collateralized short-term borrowings and thus do not result in our de-recognition of the trade receivables sold. When we sell our trade receivables, we retain reserve accounts, which are retained interests in the securitized trade receivables, and servicing rights. As at June 30, 2020, we had sold to the trust (but continued to recognize) trade receivables of $118 million (December 31, 2019 — $124 million). Short-term borrowings of $100 million (December 31, 2019 — $100 million) are comprised of amounts advanced to us by the arm’s-length securitization trust pursuant to the sale of trade receivables.

 

The balance of short-term borrowings (if any) is comprised of amounts drawn on our bilateral bank facilities.

 

23          accounts payable and accrued liabilities

 

As at (millions)

 

June 30, 
2020

 

December 31, 
2019

 

Accrued liabilities

 

$

1,102

 

$

1,091

 

Payroll and other employee-related liabilities

 

482

 

422

 

Restricted share units liability

 

95

 

77

 

 

 

1,679

 

1,590

 

Trade accounts payable

 

834

 

892

 

Interest payable

 

170

 

160

 

Other

 

190

 

107

 

 

 

$

2,873

 

$

2,749

 

 

24          advance billings and customer deposits

 

As at (millions)

 

June 30, 
2020

 

December 31, 
2019

 

Advance billings

 

$

548

 

$

522

 

Deferred customer activation and connection fees

 

8

 

9

 

Customer deposits

 

14

 

14

 

Contract liabilities

 

570

 

545

 

Other

 

126

 

130

 

 

 

$

696

 

$

675

 

 

Contract liabilities represent our future performance obligations to customers in respect of services and/or equipment and for which we have received consideration from the customer or for which an amount is due from the customer. Our contract liability balances, and the changes in those balances, are set out in the following table:

 

 

37


 

notes to condensed interim consolidated financial statements

(unaudited)

 

 

 

 

 

Three months

 

Six months

 

Periods ended June 30 (millions)

 

Note

 

2020

 

2019

 

2020

 

2019

 

Balance, beginning of period

 

 

 

$

824

 

$

814

 

$

801

 

$

811

 

Revenue deferred in previous period and recognized in current period

 

 

 

(593

)

(642

)

(577

)

(647

)

Net additions arising from operations

 

 

 

571

 

638

 

573

 

641

 

Additions arising from business acquisitions

 

18(b)

 

 

1

 

5

 

6

 

Balance, end of period

 

 

 

$

802

 

$

811

 

$

802

 

$

811

 

Current

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

$

721

 

$

732

 

Non-current

 

27

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Deferred revenues

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

70

 

65

 

Deferred customer activation and connection fees

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

11

 

14

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

$

802

 

$

811

 

Reconciliation of contract liabilities presented in the consolidated statements of financial position — current

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Gross contract liabilities

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

$

721

 

$

732

 

Reclassification to contract assets for contracts with contract liabilities less than contract assets

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(142

)

(155

)

Reclassification from contract assets for contracts with contract assets less than contract liabilities

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(9

)

(5

)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

$

570

 

$

572

 

 

25          provisions

 

(millions)

 

Asset
retirement
obligation

 

Employee-
related

 

Written put
options

 

Other

 

Total

 

As at April 1, 2020

 

$

497

 

$

41

 

$

182

 

$

122

 

$

842

 

Additions

 

 

10

 

 

75

 

85

 

Reversal

 

 

 

(70

)

(2

)

(72

)

Use

 

(1

)

(9

)

(103

)

(42

)

(155

)

Interest effect 

 

4

 

 

 

 

4

 

Effects of foreign exchange, net

 

 

(1

)

(6

)

(1

)

(8

)

As at June 30, 2020

 

$

500

 

$

41

 

$

3

 

$

152

 

$

696

 

As at January 1, 2020

 

$

495

 

$

64

 

$

196

 

$

123

 

$

878

 

Additions

 

 

20

 

 

95

 

115

 

Reversal

 

 

 

(103

)

(16

)

(119

)

Use

 

(2

)

(43

)

(104

)

(51

)

(200

)

Interest effect 

 

7

 

 

2

 

 

9

 

Effects of foreign exchange, net

 

 

 

12

 

1

 

13

 

As at June 30, 2020

 

$

500

 

$

41

 

$

3

 

$

152

 

$

696

 

Current

 

$

10

 

$

35

 

$

 

$

38

 

$

83

 

Non-current

 

490

 

6

 

3

 

114

 

613

 

As at June 30, 2020

 

$

500

 

$

41

 

$

3

 

$

152

 

$

696

 

 

Asset retirement obligation

 

We establish provisions for liabilities associated with the retirement of property, plant and equipment when those obligations result from the acquisition, construction, development and/or normal operation of the assets. We expect that the cash outflows in respect of the balance accrued as at the financial statement date will occur proximate to the dates these assets are retired.

 

Employee-related

 

The employee-related provisions are largely in respect of restructuring activities (as discussed further in Note 16(b)). The timing of the cash outflows in respect of the balance accrued as at the financial statement date is substantially short-term in nature.

 

Written put options

 

In connection with certain business acquisitions, we have established provisions for written put options in respect of non-controlling interests. Provisions for written put options are determined based on the net present value of estimated future earnings results and require us to make key economic assumptions about the future. No cash outflows for the written put options are expected prior to their initial exercisability.

 

 

38


 

notes to condensed interim consolidated financial statements

(unaudited)

 

Other

 

The provisions for other include: legal claims; non-employee-related restructuring activities; contract termination costs and onerous contracts related to business acquisitions; and costs incurred in connection with the COVID-19 pandemic. Other than as set out following, we expect that the cash outflows in respect of the balance accrued as at the financial statement date will occur over an indeterminate multi-year period.

 

As discussed further in Note 29, we are involved in a number of legal claims and we are aware of certain other possible legal claims. In respect of legal claims, we establish provisions, when warranted, after taking into account legal assessments, information presently available, and the expected availability of recourse. The timing of cash outflows associated with legal claims cannot be reasonably determined.

 

In connection with business acquisitions, we have established provisions for contingent consideration, contract termination costs and onerous contracts acquired.

 

26          long-term debt

 

(a)         Details of long-term debt

 

As at (millions)

 

Note

 

June 30,
2020

 

December 31,
2019

 

Senior unsecured

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

TELUS Corporation senior notes 

 

(b)

 

$

14,729

 

$

14,479

 

TELUS Corporation commercial paper

 

(c)

 

 

1,015

 

TELUS Communications Inc. debentures 

 

 

 

622

 

621

 

Secured

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

TELUS International (Cda) Inc. credit facility

 

(e)

 

1,167

 

431

 

Other

 

 

 

279

 

267

 

 

 

 

 

16,797

 

16,813

 

Lease liabilities

 

(f)

 

1,721

 

1,661

 

Long-term debt

 

 

 

$

18,518

 

$

18,474

 

Current

 

 

 

$

562

 

$

1,332

 

Non-current

 

 

 

17,956

 

17,142

 

Long-term debt

 

 

 

$

18,518

 

$

18,474

 

 

(b)         TELUS Corporation senior notes

 

The notes are senior unsecured and unsubordinated obligations and rank equally in right of payment with all of our existing and future unsecured unsubordinated obligations, are senior in right of payment to all of our existing and future subordinated indebtedness, and are effectively subordinated to all existing and future obligations of, or guaranteed by, our subsidiaries. The indentures governing the notes contain certain covenants that, among other things, place limitations on our ability, and the ability of certain of our subsidiaries, to: grant security in respect of indebtedness; enter into sale-leaseback transactions; and incur new indebtedness.

 

Interest is payable semi-annually. The notes require us to make an offer to repurchase the notes at a price equal to 101% of their principal amount plus accrued and unpaid interest to the date of repurchase upon the occurrence of a change in control triggering event, as defined in the supplemental trust indenture.

 

At any time prior to the respective maturity dates set out in the table below, the notes are redeemable at our option, in whole at any time, or in part from time to time, on not fewer than 30 days’ and not more than 60 days’ prior notice. On or after the respective redemption present value spread cessation dates set out in the table below, the notes are redeemable at our option, in whole but not in part, on not fewer than 30 days’ and not more than 60 days’ prior notice, at redemption prices equal to 100% of the principal amounts thereof. In addition, accrued and unpaid interest, if any, will be paid to the date fixed for redemption.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Principal face amount

 

Redemption present
value spread

 

Series

 

Issued

 

Maturity

 

Issue
price

 

Effective
interest
rate 
1

 

Originally
issued

 

Outstanding at
financial
statement date

 

Basis
points

 

Cessation
date

 

3.60% Notes, Series CM

 

November 2013

 

January 2021 2

 

$

997.15

 

3.65

%

$

400 million

 

$

NIL

 

35

3

N/A

 

3.20% Notes, Series CO

 

April 2014

 

April 2021 2

 

$

997.39

 

3.24

%

$

500 million

 

$

NIL

 

30

3

Mar. 5, 2021

 

2.35% Notes, Series CT

 

March 2015

 

March 2022

 

$

997.31

 

2.39

%

$

1.0 billion

 

$

1.0 billion

 

35.5

3

Feb. 28, 2022

 

3.35% Notes, Series CJ

 

December 2012

 

March 2023

 

$

998.83

 

3.36

%

$

500 million

 

$

500 million

 

40

3

Dec. 15, 2022

 

3.35% Notes, Series CK

 

April 2013

 

April 2024

 

$

994.35

 

3.41

%

$

1.1 billion

 

$

1.1 billion

 

36

3

Jan. 2, 2024

 

3.75% Notes, Series CQ

 

September 2014

 

January 2025

 

$

997.75

 

3.78

%

$

800 million

 

$

800 million

 

38.5

3

Oct. 17, 2024

 

 

 

39


 

notes to condensed interim consolidated financial statements

(unaudited)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Principal face amount

 

Redemption present
value spread

 

Series

 

Issued

 

Maturity

 

Issue
price

 

Effective
interest
rate 
1

 

Originally
issued

 

Outstanding at
financial
statement date

 

Basis
points

 

Cessation
date

 

3.75% Notes, Series CV

 

December 2015

 

March 2026

 

$

992.14

 

3.84

%

$

600 million

 

$

600 million

 

53.5

3

Dec. 10, 2025

 

2.75% Notes, Series CZ

 

July 2019

 

July 2026

 

$

998.73

 

2.77

%

$

800 million

 

$

800 million

 

33

3

May 8, 2026

 

2.80% U.S. Dollar Notes 4

 

September 2016

 

February 2027

 

US$

991.89

 

2.89

%

US$

600 million

 

US$

600 million

 

20

5

Nov. 16, 2026

 

3.70% U.S. Dollar Notes 4

 

March 2017

 

September 2027

 

US$

998.95

 

3.71

%

US$

500 million

 

US$

500 million

 

20

5

June 15, 2027

 

2.35% Notes, Series CAC

 

May 2020

 

January 2028

 

$

997.25

 

2.39

%

$

600 million

 

$

600 million

 

48

3

Nov. 27, 2027

 

3.625% Notes, Series CX

 

March 2018

 

March 2028

 

$

989.49

 

3.75

%

$

600 million

 

$

600 million

 

37

3

Dec. 1, 2027

 

3.30% Notes, Series CY

 

April 2019

 

May 2029

 

$

991.75

 

3.40

%

$

1.0 billion

 

$

1.0 billion

 

43.5

3

Feb. 2, 2029

 

3.15% Notes, Series CAA

 

December 2019

 

February 2030

 

$

996.49

 

3.19

%

$

600 million

 

$

600 million

 

39.5

3

Nov. 19, 2029

 

4.40% Notes, Series CL

 

April 2013

 

April 2043

 

$

997.68

 

4.41

%

$

600 million

 

$

600 million

 

47

3

Oct. 1, 2042

 

5.15% Notes, Series CN

 

November 2013

 

November 2043

 

$

995.00

 

5.18

%

$

400 million

 

$

400 million

 

50

3

May 26, 2043

 

4.85% Notes, Series CP

 

Multiple 6

 

April 2044

 

$

987.91

6

4.93

%6

$

500 million

6

$

900 million

6

46

3

Oct. 5, 2043

 

4.75% Notes, Series CR

 

September 2014

 

January 2045

 

$

992.91

 

4.80

%

$

400 million

 

$

400 million

 

51.5

3

July 17, 2044

 

4.40% Notes, Series CU

 

March 2015

 

January 2046

 

$

999.72

 

4.40

%

$

500 million

 

$

500 million

 

60.5

3

July 29, 2045

 

4.70% Notes, Series CW

 

Multiple 7

 

March 2048

 

$

998.06

7

4.71

%7

$

325 million

7

$

475 million

7

58.5

3

Sept. 6, 2047

 

4.60% U.S. Dollar Notes 4

 

June 2018

 

November 2048

 

US$

987.60

 

4.68

%

US$

750 million

 

US$

750 million

 

25

5

May 16, 2048

 

4.30% U.S. Dollar Notes 4

 

May 2019

 

June 2049

 

US$

990.48

 

4.36

%

US$

500 million

 

US$

500 million

 

25

5

Dec. 15, 2048

 

3.95% Notes, Series CAB

 

Multiple 8

 

February 2050

 

$

997.54

8

3.97

%8

$

400 million

8

$

800 million

8

57.5

3

Aug. 16, 2049

 

 


(1)             The effective interest rate is that which the notes would yield to an initial debt holder if held to maturity.

(2)             On May 22, 2020, we exercised our right to early redeem, on June 23, 2020, all of our 3.60% Notes, Series CM and all of our 3.20% Notes, Series CO. The long-term debt prepayment premium recorded in the three-month period ended June 30, 2020, was $18 million before income taxes (see Note 9).

(3)             The redemption price is equal to the greater of (i) the present value of the notes discounted at the Government of Canada yield plus the redemption present value spread calculated over the period to maturity, other than in the case of the Series CT, Series CU, Series CV, Series CW, Series CX, Series CY, Series CZ, Series CAA, Series CAB and Series CAC notes, for which it is calculated over the period to the redemption present value spread cessation date, or (ii) 100% of the principal amount thereof.

(4)             We have entered into foreign exchange derivatives (cross currency interest rate exchange agreements) that effectively converted the principal payments and interest obligations to Canadian dollar obligations as follows:

 

Series

 

Interest rate
fixed at

 

Canadian dollar
equivalent
principal

 

Exchange
rate

 

2.80% U.S. Dollar Notes

 

2.95

%

$

792 million

 

$

1.3205 

 

3.70% U.S. Dollar Notes

 

3.41

%

$

667 million

 

$

1.3348 

 

4.60% U.S. Dollar Notes

 

4.41

%

$

974 million

 

$

1.2985 

 

4.30% U.S. Dollar Notes

 

4.27

%

$

672 million

 

$

1.3435 

 

 

(5)             The redemption price is equal to the greater of (i) the present value of the notes discounted at the U.S. Adjusted Treasury Rate plus the redemption present value spread calculated over the period to the redemption present value spread cessation date, or (ii) 100% of the principal amount thereof.

(6)             $500 million of 4.85% Notes, Series CP were issued in April 2014 at an issue price of $998.74 and an effective interest rate of 4.86%. This series of notes was reopened in December 2015 and a further $400 million of notes were issued at an issue price of $974.38 and an effective interest rate of 5.02%.

(7)             $325 million of 4.70% Notes, Series CW were issued in March 2017 at an issue price of $990.65 and an effective interest rate of 4.76%. This series of notes was reopened in February 2018 and a further $150 million of notes were issued at an issue price of $1,014.11 and an effective interest rate of 4.61% in March 2018.

(8)             $400 million of 3.95% Notes, Series CAB were issued in December 2019 at an issue price of $991.54 and an effective interest rate of 4.00%. This series of notes was reopened in May 2020 and a further $400 million of notes were issued at an issue price of $1,003.53 and an effective interest rate of 3.93%.

 

(c)          TELUS Corporation commercial paper

 

TELUS Corporation has an unsecured commercial paper program, which is backstopped by our $2.25 billion syndicated credit facility (see (d)) and is to be used for general corporate purposes, including capital expenditures and investments. This program enables us to issue commercial paper, subject to conditions related to debt ratings, up to a maximum aggregate amount at any one time of $1.4 billion (December 31, 2019 — $1.4 billion). Foreign currency forward contracts are used to manage currency risk arising from issuing commercial paper denominated in U.S. dollars. Commercial paper debt is due within one year and is classified as a current portion of long-term debt, as the amounts are fully supported, and we expect that they will continue to be supported, by the revolving credit facility, which has no repayment requirements within the next year. As at June 30, 2020, we had $NIL (December 31, 2019 — $1,015 million) of commercial paper outstanding, which was denominated in U.S. dollars (US$NIL; December 31, 2019 — US$781 million).

 

(d)         TELUS Corporation credit facility

 

As at June 30, 2020, TELUS Corporation had an unsecured revolving $2.25 billion bank credit facility, expiring on May 31, 2023, with a syndicate of financial institutions, which is to be used for general corporate purposes, including the backstopping of commercial paper.

 

The TELUS Corporation credit facility bears interest at prime rate, U.S. Dollar Base Rate, a bankers’ acceptance rate or London interbank offered rate (LIBOR) (as such terms are used or defined in the credit facility), plus applicable

 

 

40


 

notes to condensed interim consolidated financial statements

(unaudited)

 

margins. The credit facility contains customary representations, warranties and covenants, including two financial quarter-end ratio tests. These tests are that our leverage ratio must not exceed 4.25:1.00 and our operating cash flow to interest expense ratio must not be less than 2.00:1.00, all as defined in the credit facility.

 

Continued access to the TELUS Corporation credit facility is not contingent upon TELUS Corporation maintaining a specific credit rating.

 

As at (millions)

 

June 30,
2020

 

December 31,
2019

 

Net available

 

$

2,250

 

$

1,235

 

Backstop of commercial paper

 

 

1,015

 

Gross available

 

$

2,250

 

$

2,250

 

 

We had $191 million of letters of credit outstanding as at June 30, 2020 (December 31, 2019 — $184 million), issued under various uncommitted facilities; such letter of credit facilities are in addition to the ability to provide letters of credit pursuant to our committed bank credit facility.

 

(e)          TELUS International (Cda) Inc. credit facility

 

As at June 30, 2020, TELUS International (Cda) Inc. had a credit facility, secured by its assets, expiring on January 28, 2025 (December 31, 2019 — December 20, 2022), with a syndicate of financial institutions (as 87.5% lender) and, joined in 2020, TELUS Corporation (as 12.5% lender). The credit facility is comprised of a US$600 million (December 31, 2019 — US$350 million) revolving component and an amortizing US$600 million (December 31, 2019 — US$120 million) term loan component. The credit facility is non-recourse to TELUS Corporation. The outstanding revolving component and term loan component had a weighted average interest rate of 2.68% as at June 30, 2020. In connection with the acquisition of Competence Call Center during the three-month period ended March 31, 2020, as discussed further in Note 18(b), incremental amounts were drawn on the facility.

 

 

 

June 30, 2020

 

December 31, 2019

 

As at (millions)

 

Revolving
component

 

Term loan
component 
1

 

Total

 

Revolving
component

 

Term loan
component

 

Total

 

Available

 

US$

204

 

US$

N/A

 

US$

204

 

US$

121

 

US$

N/A

 

US$

121

 

Outstanding

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Due to other

 

347

 

518

 

865

 

229

 

107

 

336

 

Due to TELUS Corporation

 

49

 

74

 

123

 

N/A

 

N/A

 

N/A

 

 

 

US$

600

 

US$

592

 

US$

1,192

 

US$

350

 

US$

107

 

US$

457

 

 


(1)         We have entered into a receive-floating interest rate, pay-fixed interest rate exchange agreement that effectively converts our interest obligations on US$103 of the debt to a fixed rate of 2.64%.

 

Relative to amounts owed to the syndicate of financial institutions, excluding TELUS Corporation, we have entered into foreign exchange derivatives (cross currency interest rate exchange agreements) that effectively convert an amortizing amount of US$415 of the principal payments and associated interest obligations to European euro obligations with an effective fixed interest rate of 0.65% and an effective fixed economic exchange rate of US$1.0932:€1.00. These have been accounted for as a net investment hedge in a foreign operation (see Note 4).

 

TELUS International (Cda) Inc.’s credit facility bears interest at prime rate, U.S. Dollar Base Rate, a bankers’ acceptance rate or London interbank offered rate (LIBOR) (all such terms as used or defined in the credit facility), plus applicable margins. The credit facility contains customary representations, warranties and covenants, including two financial quarter-end ratio tests. TELUS International (Cda) Inc.’s quarter-end net debt to operating cash flow ratio must not exceed: 4.75:1.00 during fiscal 2020; 4.25:1.00 during fiscal 2021; and 3.50:1.00 subsequently. The quarter-end operating cash flow to debt service (interest and scheduled principal repayment) ratio must not be less than 1.50:1.00, all as defined in the credit facility.

 

The term loan is subject to an amortization schedule which requires that 5% of the principal advanced be repaid each year of the term of the agreement, with the balance due at maturity.

 

(f)           Lease liabilities

 

Lease liabilities are subject to amortization schedules, which results in the principal being repaid over various periods, including reasonably expected renewals. The weighted average interest rate on lease liabilities was approximately 4.37% as at June 30, 2020.

 

 

41


 

notes to condensed interim consolidated financial statements

(unaudited)

 

(g)         Long-term debt maturities

 

Anticipated requirements to meet long-term debt repayments, calculated for long-term debts owing as at June 30, 2020, are as follows:

 

Composite long-term debt
denominated in

 

Canadian dollars

 

U.S. dollars

 

Other
currencies

 

 

 

Years ending December 31

 

Long-term
debt,
excluding

 

Leases

 

 

 

Long-term
debt,
excluding

 

Leases

 

Currency swap agreement
amounts to be exchanged

 

 

 

Leases

 

 

 

(millions)

 

leases

 

(Note 19)

 

Total

 

leases

 

(Note 19)

 

(Receive) 1

 

Pay

 

Total

 

(Note 19)

 

Total

 

2020 (remainder of year)

 

$

7

 

$

144

 

$

151

 

$

18

 

$

11

 

$

(14

)

$

14

 

$

29

 

$

23

 

$

203

 

2021

 

188

 

267

 

455

 

36

 

23

 

(28

)

28

 

59

 

44

 

558

 

2022

 

1,263

 

144

 

1,407

 

36

 

22

 

(28

)

28

 

58

 

34

 

1,499

 

2023

 

529

 

122

 

651

 

36

 

18

 

(28

)

28

 

54

 

29

 

734

 

2024

 

1,115

 

110

 

1,225

 

36

 

8

 

(28

)

28

 

44

 

23

 

1,292

 

2025-2029

 

4,686

 

299

 

4,985

 

2,516

 

15

 

(1,935

)

1,907

 

2,503

 

46

 

7,534

 

Thereafter

 

4,788

 

301

 

5,089

 

1,704

 

1

 

(1,703

)

1,646

 

1,648

 

20

 

6,757

 

Future cash outflows in respect of composite long-term debt principal repayments

 

12,576

 

1,387

 

13,963

 

4,382

 

98

 

(3,764

)

3,679

 

4,395

 

219

 

18,577

 

Future cash outflows in respect of associated interest and like carrying costs 2

 

6,452

 

375

 

6,827

 

2,672

 

19

 

(2,575

)

2,409

 

2,525

 

49

 

9,401

 

Undiscounted contractual maturities (Note 4(b))

 

$

19,028

 

$

1,762

 

$

20,790

 

$

7,054

 

$

117

 

$

(6,339

)

$

6,088

 

$

6,920

 

$

268

 

$

27,978

 

 


(1)             Where applicable cash flows reflect foreign exchange rates as at June 30, 2020.

(2)             Future cash outflows in respect of associated interest and like carrying costs for commercial paper and amounts drawn under our credit facilities (if any) have been calculated based upon the rates in effect as at June 30, 2020.

 

27          other long-term liabilities

 

As at (millions)

 

Note

 

June 30,
2020

 

December 31,
2019

 

Contract liabilities

 

24

 

$

70

 

$

70

 

Other

 

 

 

6

 

7

 

Deferred revenues

 

 

 

76

 

77

 

Pension benefit liabilities

 

 

 

934

 

580

 

Other post-employment benefit liabilities

 

 

 

58

 

53

 

Restricted share unit and deferred share unit liabilities

 

 

 

13

 

42

 

Derivative liabilities

 

4(d)

 

27

 

26

 

Investment in real estate joint ventures

 

21(b)

 

11

 

5

 

Other

 

 

 

27

 

10

 

 

 

 

 

1,146

 

793

 

Deferred customer activation and connection fees

 

24

 

11

 

13

 

 

 

 

 

$

1,157

 

$

806

 

 

28          owners’ equity

 

(a)         Common Share capital — general

 

Our authorized share capital is as follows:

 

As at

 

June 30,
2020

 

December 31,
2019

 

First Preferred Shares

 

1 billion

 

1 billion

 

Second Preferred Shares

 

1 billion

 

1 billion

 

Common Shares

 

4 billion

 

4 billion

*

 

Only holders of Common Shares may vote at our general meetings, with each holder of Common Shares entitled to one vote per Common Share held at all such meetings so long as not less than 66-2/3% of the issued and outstanding Common Shares are owned by Canadians. With respect to priority in payment of dividends and in the distribution of

 


* Amounts reflect retrospective application of March 17, 2020, share split (see Note 28(b)).

 

 

42


 

notes to condensed interim consolidated financial statements

(unaudited)

 

assets in the event of our liquidation, dissolution or winding-up, whether voluntary or involuntary, or any other distribution of our assets among our shareholders for the purpose of winding up our affairs, preferences are as follows: First Preferred Shares; Second Preferred Shares; and finally Common Shares.

 

During the three-month period ended March 31, 2020, we issued approximately 58 million* shares for gross proceeds of $1.5 billion.

 

As at June 30, 2020, approximately 32 million* Common Shares were reserved for issuance, from Treasury, under a dividend reinvestment and share purchase plan (see Note 13(b)), approximately 24 million* Common Shares were reserved for issuance, from Treasury, under a restricted share unit plan (see Note 14(b)) and approximately 93 million* Common Shares were reserved for issuance, from Treasury, under a share option plan (see Note 14(d)).

 

(b)         Common Share split

 

On February 13, 2020, we announced a subdivision of our Common Shares on a two-for-one basis to be effected March 17, 2020. All references, unless otherwise indicated, to the number of shares authorized, the number of shares outstanding, the number of shares reserved; per share amounts and share-based compensation information in the consolidated financial statements have been retrospectively restated to reflect the impact of the subdivision.

 

(c)          Purchase of Common Shares for cancellation pursuant to normal course issuer bid

 

As referred to in Note 3, we may purchase a portion of our Common Shares for cancellation pursuant to normal course issuer bids in order to maintain or adjust our capital structure. In December 2019, we received approval for a normal course issuer bid to purchase and cancel up to 16 million* of our Common Shares (up to a maximum amount of $250 million) from January 2, 2020, to January 1, 2021.

 

(d)         Subsidiary with significant non-controlling interest

 

Our TELUS International (Cda) Inc. subsidiary is incorporated under the Business Corporations Act (British Columbia) and has geographically dispersed operations with principal places of business in Asia, Central America, Europe and North America. During the three-month period ended March 31, 2020, non-controlling shareholders purchased TELUS International (Cda) Inc. shares from treasury for $209 million, which resulted in the non-controlling interests’ ownership interest increasing to 37.7% as at March 31, 2020, up from 35.9% as at December 31, 2019. Associated with the transaction, an adjustment reflecting the approximately 1.8% increase in the non-controlling interest in the net book value of the subsidiary was credited to non-controlling interests in our Consolidated statement of changes in owners’ equity, and the net balance of proceeds was credited to contributed surplus.

 

On a continuing basis, we review our corporate organization and effect changes as appropriate so as to enhance the value of TELUS Corporation. This process can affect our subsidiaries, including TELUS International (Cda) Inc.; during the three-month period ended June 30, 2020, this process resulted in the non-controlling interests’ ownership interest decreasing to 36.2% as at June 30, 2020, with an adjustment reflecting the approximately 1.5% decrease in the non-controlling interest in the net book value of the subsidiary having been credited to non-controlling interests in our Consolidated statement of changes in owners’ equity, offset by an equal amount having been charged to contributed surplus.

 

Summarized financial information

 

 

 

Three months

 

Six months

 

 

 

As at, or for the three-month and six-month periods ended (millions) 1

 

June 30,
2020

 

June 30,
2019

 

June 30,
2020

 

June 30,
2019

 

December 31,
2019

 

Statement of financial position

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Current assets

 

 

 

 

 

$

591

 

 

 

$

437

 

Non-current assets

 

 

 

 

 

$

2,763

 

 

 

$

1,057

 

Current liabilities

 

 

 

 

 

$

586

 

 

 

$

531

 

Non-current liabilities

 

 

 

 

 

$

1,838

 

 

 

$

647

 

Statement of income and other comprehensive income

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Revenue

 

$

611

 

$

336

 

$

1,077

 

$

645

 

 

 

Net income

 

$

71

 

$

8

 

$

78

 

$

33

 

 

 

Comprehensive income

 

$

45

 

$

19

 

$

85

 

$

51

 

 

 

 


(1)         As required by IFRS-IASB, this summarized financial information excludes inter-company eliminations.

 

* Amounts reflect retrospective application of March 17, 2020, share split (see Note 28(b)).

 

 

43


 

notes to condensed interim consolidated financial statements

(unaudited)

 

29          contingent liabilities

 

Claims and lawsuits

 

General

 

A number of claims and lawsuits (including class actions and intellectual property infringement claims) seeking damages and other relief are pending against us and, in some cases, other wireless carriers and telecommunications service providers. As well, we have received notice of, or are aware of, certain possible claims (including intellectual property infringement claims) against us and, in some cases, other wireless carriers and telecommunications service providers.

 

It is not currently possible for us to predict the outcome of such claims, possible claims and lawsuits due to various factors, including: the preliminary nature of some claims; uncertain damage theories and demands; an incomplete factual record; uncertainty concerning legal theories and procedures and their resolution by the courts, at both the trial and the appeal levels; and the unpredictable nature of opposing parties and their demands.

 

However, subject to the foregoing limitations, management is of the opinion, based upon legal assessments and information presently available, that it is unlikely that any liability, to the extent not provided for through insurance or otherwise, would have a material effect on our financial position and the results of our operations, including cash flows, with the exception of the items enumerated following.

 

Certified class actions

 

Certified class actions against us include the following:

 

Per minute billing class action

 

In 2008 a class action was brought in Ontario against us alleging breach of contract, breach of the Ontario Consumer Protection Act, breach of the Competition Act and unjust enrichment, in connection with our practice of “rounding up” wireless airtime to the nearest minute and charging for the full minute. The action sought certification of a national class. In November 2014, an Ontario class only was certified by the Ontario Superior Court of Justice in relation to the breach of contract, breach of Consumer Protection Act, and unjust enrichment claims; all appeals of the certification decision have now been exhausted. At the same time, the Ontario Superior Court of Justice declined to stay the claims of our business customers notwithstanding an arbitration clause in our customer service agreements with those customers. This latter decision was appealed and on May 31, 2017, the Ontario Court of Appeal dismissed our appeal. The Supreme Court of Canada granted us leave to appeal this decision and on April 4, 2019, granted our appeal and stayed the claims of business customers.

 

Call set-up time class actions

 

In 2005 a class action was brought against us in British Columbia alleging that we have engaged in deceptive trade practices in charging for incoming calls from the moment the caller connects to the network, and not from the moment the incoming call is connected to the recipient. In 2011, the Supreme Court of Canada upheld a stay of all of the causes of action advanced by the plaintiff in this class action, with one exception, based on the arbitration clause that was included in our customer service agreements. The sole exception was the cause of action based on deceptive or unconscionable practices under the British Columbia Business Practices and Consumer Protection Act, which the Supreme Court of Canada declined to stay. In January 2016, the British Columbia Supreme Court certified this class action in relation to the claim under the Business Practices and Consumer Protection Act. The class is limited to residents of British Columbia who contracted wireless services with us in the period from January 21, 1999, to April 2010. We have appealed the certification decision. A companion class action was brought against us in Alberta at the same time as the British Columbia class action. The Alberta class action duplicates the allegations in the British Columbia action, but has not proceeded to date and is not certified. Subject to a number of conditions, including court approval, we have now settled both the British Columbia and the Alberta class actions.

 

Uncertified class actions

 

Uncertified class actions against us include:

 

9-1-1 class actions

 

In 2008 a class action was brought in Saskatchewan against us and other Canadian telecommunications carriers alleging that, among other matters, we failed to provide proper notice of 9-1-1 charges to the public, have been deceitfully passing them off as government charges, and have charged 9-1-1 fees to customers who reside in areas where 9-1-1 service is not available. The plaintiffs advance causes of action in breach of contract, misrepresentation

 

 

44


 

notes to condensed interim consolidated financial statements

(unaudited)

 

and false advertising and seek certification of a national class. A virtually identical class action was filed in Alberta at the same time, but the Alberta Court of Queen’s Bench declared that class action expired against us as of 2009. No steps have been taken in this proceeding since 2016.

 

Public Mobile class actions

 

In 2014 class actions were brought against us in Quebec and Ontario on behalf of Public Mobile’s customers, alleging that changes to the technology, services and rate plans made by us contravene our statutory and common law obligations. In particular, the Quebec action alleges that our actions constitute a breach of the Quebec Consumer Protection Act, the Quebec Civil Code, and the Ontario Consumer Protection Act. It has not yet proceeded to an authorization hearing. The Ontario class action alleges negligence, breach of express and implied warranty, breach of the Competition Act, unjust enrichment, and waiver of tort. No steps have been taken in this proceeding since it was filed and served.

 

Handset subsidy class action

 

In 2016 a class action was brought in Quebec against us and other telecommunications carriers alleging that we breached the Quebec Consumer Protection Act and the Civil Code of Quebec by making false or misleading representations relating to the handset subsidy provided to our wireless customers, and by charging our wireless customers inflated rate plan prices and termination fees higher than those permitted under the Act. The claim was later amended to also seek compensation for amounts paid by class members to unlock their mobile devices. The authorization hearing was held on April 30 and May 1, 2019, and on July 15, 2019, the Quebec Superior Court dismissed the authorization application. The Plaintiff has appealed this decision.

 

Other claims

 

Claims and possible claims received by us include:

 

Area code 867 blocking claim

 

In 2018 a claim was brought against us alleging breach of a Direct Connection Call Termination Services Agreement, breach of a duty of good faith, and intentional interference with economic relations. The plaintiffs allege that we have improperly blocked calls to area code 867 (including to customers of a plaintiff), for which a second plaintiff provides wholesale session initiation trunking services. The plaintiffs seek damages of $135 million. On April 23, 2019, the Ontario Superior Court stayed this claim on the ground that the court has no jurisdiction over, or is not the appropriate forum, for the subject matter of this action.

 

Summary

 

We believe that we have good defences to the above matters. Should the ultimate resolution of these matters differ from management’s assessments and assumptions, a material adjustment to our financial position and the results of our operations, including cash flows, could result. Management’s assessments and assumptions include that reliable estimates of any such exposure cannot be made considering the continued uncertainty about: the nature of the damages that may be sought by the plaintiffs; the causes of action that are being, or may ultimately be, pursued; and, in the case of the uncertified class actions, the causes of action that may ultimately be certified.

 

30          related party transactions

 

(a)         Transactions with key management personnel

 

Our key management personnel have authority and responsibility for overseeing, planning, directing and controlling our activities and consist of our Board of Directors and our Executive Leadership Team.

 

Total compensation expense for key management personnel, and the composition thereof, is as follows:

 

 

 

Three months

 

Six months

 

Periods ended June 30 (millions)

 

2020

 

2019

 

2020

 

2019

 

Short-term benefits

 

$

2

 

$

2

 

$

4

 

$

5

 

Post-employment pension 1 and other benefits

 

1

 

1

 

2

 

2

 

Share-based compensation 2

 

11

 

5

 

10

 

20

 

 

 

$

14

 

$

8

 

$

16

 

$

27

 

 


(1)         Our Executive Leadership Team members are members of our Pension Plan for Management and Professional Employees of TELUS Corporation and certain other non-registered, non-contributory supplementary defined benefit pension plans.

(2)         In respect of restricted share units with neither an equity settlement feature nor market performance conditions, we accrue a liability equal to the product of the number of vesting restricted share units multiplied by the fair market value of the corresponding Common Shares at the end of the reporting period. Similarly,

 

 

45


 

notes to condensed interim consolidated financial statements

(unaudited)

 

we accrue a liability for the notional subset of our restricted share units without an equity settlement feature and with market performance conditions using a Monte Carlo simulation-determined fair value. Restricted share units that have an equity settlement feature are accounted for as equity instruments. The expense for restricted share units that do not ultimately vest is reversed against the expense that was previously recorded in their respect.

 

As disclosed in Note 14, we made initial awards of share-based compensation in 2020 and 2019, including, as set out in the following table, to our key management personnel. As most of these awards are cliff-vesting or graded-vesting and have multi-year requisite service periods, the related expense will be recognized rateably over a period of years and thus only a portion of the 2020 and 2019 initial awards are included in the amounts in the table above.

 

Six-month periods ended June 30

 

2020

 

2019

 

($ in millions)

 

Number of
restricted
share units
*

 

Notional
value 
1

 

Grant-date
fair value 
1

 

Number of
restricted
share units

 

Notional
value 
1

 

Grant-date
fair value 
1

 

Awarded in period

 

811,954

 

$

20

 

$

28

 

 

$

 

$

 

 


(1)         Notional value is determined by multiplying the Common Share price at the time of award by the number of units awarded. The grant-date fair value differs from the notional value because the fair values of some awards have been determined using a Monte Carlo simulation (see Note 14(b)). No share options were awarded to our key management personnel in fiscal 2020 or 2019.

 

The liability amounts accrued for share-based compensation awards to key management personnel are as follows:

 

As at (millions)

 

June 30,
2020

 

December 31,
2019

 

Restricted share units

 

$

26

 

$

25

 

Deferred share units 1

 

3

 

23

 

 

 

$

29

 

$

48

 

 


(1)         Our Directors’ Deferred Share Unit Plan provides that, in addition to his or her annual equity grant of deferred share units, a director may elect to receive his or her annual retainer and meeting fees in deferred share units, Common Shares or cash. Deferred share units entitle directors to a specified number of, or a cash payment based on the value of, our Common Shares. Deferred share units are paid out when a director ceases to be a director, for any reason, at a time elected by the director in accordance with the Directors’ Deferred Share Unit Plan; during the three-month and six-month periods ended June 30, 2020, $NIL (2019 — $3) and $NIL (2019 — $3), respectively, was paid out.

 

Employment agreements with members of the Executive Leadership Team typically provide for severance payments if an executive’s employment is terminated without cause: generally 18—24 months of base salary, benefits and accrual of pension service in lieu of notice, and 50% of base salary in lieu of an annual cash bonus. In the event of a change in control, Executive Leadership Team members are not entitled to treatment any different than that given to our other employees with respect to non-vested share-based compensation.

 

(b)         Transactions with defined benefit pension plans

 

During the three-month and six-month periods ended June 30, 2020, we provided management and administrative services to our defined benefit pension plans; the charges for these services were on a cost recovery basis and amounted to $1 million (2019 — $2 million) and $3 million (2019 — $3 million), respectively.

 

(c)          Transactions with real estate joint venture and associate

 

During the three-month and six-month periods ended June 30, 2020 and 2019, we had transactions with the TELUS Sky real estate joint ventures, which is a related party, as set out in Note 21. As at June 30, 2020, we had recorded lease liabilities of $76 million (December 31, 2019 — $77 million) in respect of our TELUS Sky lease and monthly cash payments are made in accordance with the lease agreement; one-third of the amounts is due to our economic interest in the real estate joint venture.

 


* Amounts reflect retrospective application of March 17, 2020, share split (see Note 28(b)).

 

 

46


 

notes to condensed interim consolidated financial statements

(unaudited)

 

31          additional statement of cash flow information

 

(a)         Statements of cash flows — operating activities and investing activities

 

 

 

 

 

Three months

 

Six months

 

Periods ended June 30 (millions)

 

Note

 

2020

 

2019

 

2020

 

2019

 

OPERATING ACTIVITIES

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Net change in non-cash operating working capital

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Accounts receivable

 

 

 

$

(1

)

$

(197

)

$

24

 

$

(223

)

Inventories

 

 

 

33

 

25

 

102

 

42

 

Contract assets

 

 

 

114

 

3

 

199

 

1

 

Prepaid expenses

 

 

 

52

 

(26

)

5

 

(110

)

Accounts payable and accrued liabilities

 

 

 

210

 

253

 

90

 

190

 

Income and other taxes receivable and payable, net

 

 

 

67

 

(53

)

145

 

(269

)

Advance billings and customer deposits

 

 

 

1

 

(3

)

16

 

3

 

Provisions

 

 

 

(72

)

14

 

(117

)

(36

)

 

 

 

 

$

404

 

$

16

 

$

464

 

$

(402

)

INVESTING ACTIVITIES

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Cash payments for capital assets, excluding spectrum licences

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Capital asset additions

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Gross capital expenditures

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Property, plant and equipment

 

17

 

$

(693

)

$

(718

)

$

(1,295

)

$

(1,357

)

Intangible assets subject to amortization

 

18

 

(174

)

(166

)

(324

)

(299

)

 

 

 

 

(867

)

(884

)

(1,619

)

(1,656

)

Additions arising from leases

 

17

 

110

 

110

 

192

 

232

 

Additions arising from non-monetary transactions

 

 

 

1

 

4

 

6

 

8

 

Capital expenditures

 

5

 

(756

)

(770

)

(1,421

)

(1,416

)

Change in associated non-cash investing working capital

 

 

 

62

 

125

 

(53

)

(22

)

 

 

 

 

$

(694

)

$

(645

)

$

(1,474

)

$

(1,438

)

 

 

47


 

notes to condensed interim consolidated financial statements

(unaudited)

 

(b)         Changes in liabilities arising from financing activities

 

 

 

 

 

Statement of cash flows

 

Non-cash changes

 

 

 

(millions)

 

Beginning
of period

 

Issued or
received

 

Redemptions,
repayments
or payments

 

Foreign
exchange
movement
(Note 4(e))

 

Other

 

End of
period

 

THREE-MONTH PERIOD ENDED JUNE 30, 2019

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Dividends payable to holders of Common Shares

 

$

329

 

$

 

$

(329

)

$

 

$

339

 

$

339

 

Dividends reinvested in shares from Treasury

 

 

 

22

 

 

(22

)

 

 

 

$

329

 

$

 

$

(307

)

$

 

$

317

 

$

339

 

Short-term borrowings

 

$

500

 

$

 

$

(400

)

$

 

$

 

$

100

 

Long-term debt

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

TELUS Corporation senior notes

 

$

12,136

 

$

1,674

 

$

 

$

(70

)

$

(25

)

$

13,715

 

TELUS Corporation commercial paper

 

1,105

 

748

 

(1,554

)

(6

)

 

293

 

TELUS Communications Inc. debentures

 

621

 

 

 

 

 

621

 

TELUS International (Cda) Inc. credit facility

 

405

 

 

(2

)

(8

)

1

 

396

 

Lease liabilities

 

1,508

 

 

(64

)

(8

)

118

 

1,554

 

Derivatives used to manage currency risks arising from U.S. dollar-denominated long-term debt — liability (asset)

 

41

 

1,554

 

(1,551

)

76

 

(28

)

92

 

 

 

15,816

 

3,976

 

(3,171

)

(16

)

66

 

16,671

 

To eliminate effect of gross settlement of derivatives used to manage currency risks arising from U.S. dollar-denominated long-term debt

 

 

(1,554

)

1,554

 

 

 

 

 

 

$

15,816

 

$

2,422

 

$

(1,617

)

$

(16

)

$

66

 

$

16,671

 

THREE-MONTH PERIOD ENDED JUNE 30, 2020

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Dividends payable to holders of Common Shares

 

$

371

 

$

 

$

(371

)

$

 

$

372

 

$

372

 

Dividends reinvested in shares from Treasury

 

 

 

131

 

 

(131

)

 

 

 

$

371

 

$

 

$

(240

)

$

 

$

241

 

$

372

 

Short-term borrowings

 

$

100

 

$

 

$

 

$

 

$

 

$

100

 

Long-term debt

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

TELUS Corporation senior notes

 

$

14,763

 

$

1,000

 

$

(900

)

$

(132

)

$

(2

)

$

14,729

 

TELUS Corporation commercial paper

 

459

 

 

(454

)

(5

)

 

 

TELUS Communications Inc. debentures

 

621

 

 

 

 

1

 

622

 

TELUS International (Cda) Inc. credit facility

 

1,285

 

 

(68

)

(50

)

 

1,167

 

Other

 

281

 

 

(3

)

 

1

 

279

 

Lease liabilities

 

1,699

 

 

(81

)

(6

)

109

 

1,721

 

Derivatives used to manage currency risk arising from U.S. dollar-denominated long-term debt — liability (asset)

 

(655

)

461

 

(434

)

158

 

78

 

(392

)

 

 

18,453

 

1,461

 

(1,940

)

(35

)

187

 

18,126

 

To eliminate effect of gross settlement of derivatives used to manage currency risk arising from U.S. dollar-denominated long-term debt

 

 

(461

)

461

 

 

 

 

 

 

$

18,453

 

$

1,000

 

$

(1,479

)

$

(35

)

$

187

 

$

18,126

 

 

 

48


 

notes to condensed interim consolidated financial statements

(unaudited)

 

 

 

 

 

Statement of cash flows

 

Non-cash changes

 

 

 

(millions)

 

Beginning
of period

 

Issued or
received

 

Redemptions,
repayments
or payments

 

Foreign
exchange
movement
(Note 4(e))

 

Other

 

End of
period

 

SIX-MONTH PERIOD ENDED JUNE 30, 2019

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Dividends payable to holders of Common Shares

 

$

326

 

$

 

$

(655

)

$

 

$

668

 

$

339

 

Dividends reinvested in shares from Treasury

 

 

 

45

 

 

(45

)

 

 

 

$

326

 

$

 

$

(610

)

$

 

$

623

 

$

339

 

Short-term borrowings

 

$

100

 

$

407

 

$

(407

)

$

 

$

 

$

100

 

Long-term debt

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

TELUS Corporation senior notes

 

$

12,186

 

$

1,674

 

$

 

$

(122

)

$

(23

)

$

13,715

 

TELUS Corporation commercial paper

 

774

 

1,901

 

(2,363

)

(19

)

 

293

 

TELUS Communications Inc. debentures

 

620

 

 

 

 

1

 

621

 

TELUS International (Cda) Inc. credit facility

 

419

 

13

 

(21

)

(17

)

2

 

396

 

Lease liabilities

 

1,483

 

 

(152

)

(13

)

236

 

1,554

 

Derivatives used to manage currency risk arising from U.S. dollar-denominated long-term debt — liability (asset)

 

(73

)

2,363

 

(2,361

)

141

 

22

 

92

 

 

 

15,409

 

5,951

 

(4,897

)

(30

)

238

 

16,671

 

To eliminate effect of gross settlement of derivatives used to manage currency risk arising from U.S. dollar-denominated long-term debt

 

 

(2,363

)

2,363

 

 

 

 

 

 

$

15,409

 

$

3,588

 

$

(2,534

)

$

(30

)

$

238

 

$

16,671

 

SIX-MONTH PERIOD ENDED JUNE 30, 2020

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Dividends payable to holders of Common Shares

 

$

352

 

$

 

$

(723

)

$

 

$

743

 

$

372

 

Dividends reinvested in shares from Treasury

 

 

 

261

 

 

(261

)

 

 

 

$

352

 

$

 

$

(462

)

$

 

$

482

 

$

372

 

Short-term borrowings

 

$

100

 

$

200

 

$

(200

)

$

 

$

 

$

100

 

Long-term debt

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

TELUS Corporation senior notes

 

$

14,479

 

$

1,000

 

$

(900

)

$

150

 

$

 

$

14,729

 

TELUS Corporation commercial paper

 

1,015

 

612

 

(1,692

)

65

 

 

 

TELUS Communications Inc. debentures

 

621

 

 

 

 

1

 

622

 

TELUS International (Cda) Inc. credit facility

 

431

 

765

 

(68

)

45

 

(6

)

1,167

 

Other

 

267

 

 

(191

)

 

203

 

279

 

Lease liabilities

 

1,661

 

 

(165

)

17

 

208

 

1,721

 

Derivatives used to manage currency risk arising from U.S. dollar-denominated long-term debt — liability (asset)

 

(37

)

1,699

 

(1,650

)

(194

)

(210

)

(392

)

 

 

18,437

 

4,076

 

(4,666

)

83

 

196

 

18,126

 

To eliminate effect of gross settlement of derivatives used to manage currency risk arising from U.S. dollar-denominated long-term debt

 

 

(1,699

)

1,699

 

 

 

 

 

 

$

18,437

 

$

2,377

 

$

(2,967

)

$

83

 

$

196

 

$

18,126

 

 

 

49



Exhibit 99.2

 


 

TELUS CORPORATION

 

Management’s discussion and analysis

 

2020 Q2

 

 


 

TELUS Corporation — Management’s discussion and analysis — 2020 Q2

 

Caution regarding forward-looking statements

 

The terms TELUS, the Company, we, us and our refer to TELUS Corporation and, where the context of the narrative permits or requires, its subsidiaries.

 

This document contains forward-looking statements about expected events and our financial and operating performance. Forward-looking statements include any statements that do not refer to historical facts. They include, but are not limited to, statements relating to our objectives and our strategies to achieve those objectives, our targets, outlook, updates, our plans and expectations regarding the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and responses to it, and our multi-year dividend growth program. Forward-looking statements are typically identified by the words assumption, goal, guidance, objective, outlook, strategy, target and other similar expressions, or future or conditional verbs such as aim, anticipate, believe, could, expect, intend, may, plan, predict, seek, should, strive and will. These statements are made pursuant to the “safe harbour” provisions of applicable securities laws in Canada and the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995.

 

By their nature, forward-looking statements are subject to inherent risks and uncertainties and are based on assumptions, including assumptions about future economic conditions and courses of action. These assumptions may ultimately prove to have been inaccurate and, as a result, our actual results or events may differ materially from expectations expressed in or implied by the forward-looking statements.

 

Risks and uncertainties that could cause actual performance or events to differ materially from the forward-looking statements made herein and in other TELUS filings include, but are not limited to, the following:

 

·                  The COVID-19 pandemic including its impacts on our customers, our team members and our communities, as well as changes resulting from the pandemic to our business and operations including to the demand for and supply of the products and services that we offer and the channels through which we offer them.

 

·                  Regulatory decisions and developments including changes to our regulatory regime (the timing of announcement or implementation of which are uncertain) or the outcomes of proceedings, cases or inquiries relating to its application, including but not limited to those set out in Section 9.1 Communications industry regulatory developments and proceedings in this Management’s discussion and analysis (MD&A), such as the potential for government intervention to further increase competition, for example, through mandated wholesale access; the potential for additional government intervention on pricing, including the March 2020 announcement by the federal government (reiterated in June 2020) targeting a 25% price reduction in wireless plans using between two to six GB of data over a two year period by the national wireless carriers; federal and provincial consumer protection legislation and regulation; amendments to existing federal legislation; potential threats to unitary federal regulatory authority over telecommunications; potential threats to the CRTC’s ability to enforce the Wholesale Code, which aims to ensure the fair treatment by vertically integrated firms of rival broadcasting distributors and programming services; regulatory action by the Competition Bureau or other regulatory agencies; spectrum and compliance with licences, including our compliance with licence conditions, changes to spectrum licence fees, spectrum policy determinations such as restrictions on the purchase, sale, subordination and transfer of spectrum licences, the cost, availability and timing of spectrum, and ongoing and future consultations and decisions on spectrum allocation; the impact on us and other Canadian telecommunications carriers of government or regulatory actions with respect to certain countries or suppliers, including the executive order signed by U.S. President Donald Trump permitting the Secretary of Commerce to block certain technology transactions deemed to constitute national security risks and the imposition of additional licence requirements on the export, re-export and transfer of goods, services and technology to Huawei Technologies Co. Ltd. and its non-U.S. affiliates, and decisions of other foreign governments; restrictions on non-Canadian ownership and control of TELUS Common Shares and the ongoing monitoring of and compliance with such restrictions; unanticipated changes to the current copyright regime; and our ability to comply with complex and changing regulation of the healthcare and medical devices industry in the jurisdictions in which we operate, including as an operator of health clinics.

 

·                  Competitive environment including: our ability to continue to retain customers through an enhanced customer service experience, including through the deployment and operation of evolving wireless and wireline infrastructure; intense wireless competition, including the ability of industry competitors to successfully combine a mix of internet services and, in some cases, wireless services under one bundled and/or discounted monthly rate, along with their existing broadcast or satellite-based TV services; the success of new products, services and supporting systems, such as home automation security and Internet of Things (IoT) services for internet-connected devices; wireline voice and data competition, including continued intense rivalry across all services among wireless and wireline telecommunications companies, cable companies, other communications companies and over-the-top (OTT) services, which, among other things, places pressures on current and future mobile phone average billing per subscriber per month (ABPU), mobile phone average revenue per subscriber per month (ARPU), cost of acquisition, cost of retention and churn rate for all services, as do customer usage patterns, increased data bucket sizes or flat-rate pricing trends for voice and data, such as our Peace of Mind™ plans and comparable plans, inclusive rate plans for voice and data and availability of Wi-Fi networks for data; mergers and acquisitions of industry competitors; pressures on internet and TV ARPU and churn rate resulting from market conditions, government actions and customer usage patterns; residential voice and business network access line losses; subscriber additions and retention volumes, and associated costs for wireless, TV and internet services; our ability to obtain and offer content on a timely basis across multiple devices on wireless and TV platforms at a reasonable cost as content costs per unit continue to grow; vertical integration in the broadcasting industry resulting in competitors owning broadcast content services, and timely and effective enforcement of related regulatory safeguards; our ability to compete successfully in our TELUS International customer care and business services given our competitors’ brand recognition, consolidation and strategic alliances, as well as technology development; in our TELUS Health business, our ability to compete with other

 

 

2


 

providers of electronic medical records and pharmacy management products, systems integrators and health service providers including those that own a vertically integrated mix of health services delivery, IT solutions, and related services, and global providers that could achieve expanded Canadian footprints; and our ability to successfully develop our smart data solutions business.

 

·                  Technological substitution including: reduced utilization and increased commoditization of traditional wireline voice services (local and long distance) resulting from impacts of OTT applications and wireless substitution; a declining overall market for paid TV services, including as a result of content piracy and signal theft, a rise in OTT direct-to-consumer video offerings and virtual multichannel video programming distribution platforms; the increasing number of households that have only wireless and/or internet-based telephone services; potential declines in mobile phone ABPU and ARPU as a result of, among other factors, substitution by messaging and OTT applications; substitution by increasingly available Wi-Fi services; and disruptive technologies, such as OTT IP services, including software-defined networks in the business market, that may displace or cause us to reprice our existing data services.

 

·                  Challenges to our ability to deploy technology including: high subscriber demand for data that challenges wireless networks and spectrum capacity levels and may be accompanied by increases in delivery cost; our reliance on information technology and our ability to streamline our legacy systems; the roll-out and evolution of wireless broadband technologies and systems, including video distribution platforms and telecommunications network technologies (broadband initiatives, such as fibre to the premises (FTTP), wireless small-cell deployment, 5G wireless and availability of resources and our ability to build out adequate broadband capacity); our reliance on wireless network access agreements, which have facilitated our deployment of wireless technologies; our choice of suppliers and those suppliers’ ability to maintain and service their product lines, which could affect the success of upgrades to, and evolution of, technology that we offer; supplier limitations and concentration and market power for products such as network equipment, TELUS TV® and wireless handsets; our expected long-term need to acquire additional spectrum capacity through future spectrum auctions and from third parties to address increasing demand for data and our ability to utilize spectrum we acquire; deployment and operation of new wireline broadband network technologies at a reasonable cost and the availability and success of new products and services to be rolled out using such network technologies; network reliability and change management; and our deployment of self-learning tools and automation that may change the way we interact with customers.

 

·                  Capital expenditure levels and potential outlays for spectrum licences in auctions or purchases from third parties, affect and are affected by: our broadband initiatives, including connecting more homes and businesses directly to fibre; our ongoing deployment of newer wireless technologies, including wireless small cells to improve coverage and capacity; investments in network resiliency and reliability; including to address changes in usage resulting from restrictions imposed in response to COVID-19; the allocation of resources to acquisitions and future wireless spectrum auctions held by Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada (ISED), including the 3500 MHz and millimetre wave spectrum auctions with both currently expected to take place in 2021, and the announcement of a formal consultation on the auctioning of 3800 MHz spectrum, expected to take place in 2022. Our capital expenditure levels could be impacted if we do not achieve our targeted operational and financial results or by changes to our regulatory environment.

 

·                  Operational performance and business combination risks including: our reliance on legacy systems and ability to implement and support new products and services and business operations in a timely manner; our ability to manage the requirements of large enterprise deals; our ability to implement effective change management for system replacements and upgrades, process redesigns and business integrations (such as our ability to successfully integrate acquisitions, complete divestitures or establish partnerships in a timely manner and realize expected strategic benefits, including those following compliance with any regulatory orders); our ability to identify and manage new risks inherent in new service offerings that we may provide, including as a result of acquisitions, which could result in damage to our brand, our business in the relevant area or as a whole, and additional exposure to litigation or regulatory proceedings.

 

·                  Data protection including risks that malfunctions or unlawful acts could result in unauthorized access to, change, loss, or distribution of data, which may compromise the privacy of individuals and could result in financial loss and harm to our reputation and brand.

 

·                  Security threats including intentional damage or unauthorized access to our physical assets or our IT systems and networks, which could prevent us from providing reliable service or result in unauthorized access to our information or that of our customers.

 

·                  Ability to successfully implement cost reduction initiatives and realize planned savings, net of restructuring and other costs, without losing customer service focus or negatively affecting business operations. Examples of these initiatives are: our operating efficiency and effectiveness program to drive improvements in financial results; business integrations; business product simplification; business process automation and outsourcing; offshoring and reorganizations; procurement initiatives; and real estate rationalization.

 

·                  Foreign operations and our ability to successfully manage operations in foreign jurisdictions, including managing risks such as currency fluctuations.

 

·                  Business continuity events including: our ability to maintain customer service and operate our network in the event of human error or human-caused threats, such as cyberattacks and equipment failures that could cause various degrees of network outages; supply chain disruptions, delays and economics, including as a result of government restrictions or trade actions; natural disaster threats; epidemics; pandemics (including the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic); political instability in certain international locations; information security and privacy breaches, including data loss or theft of data; and the completeness and effectiveness of business continuity and disaster recovery plans and responses.

 

 

3


 

·                  Human resource matters including: recruitment, retention and appropriate training in a highly competitive industry, the level of our employee engagement, and the health of our team.

 

·                  Financing and debt requirements including: our ability to carry out financing activities, refinance our maturing debt and/or maintain investment grade credit ratings in the range of BBB+ or the equivalent. Our business plans and growth could be negatively affected if existing financing is not sufficient to cover our funding requirements.

 

·                  Lower than planned free cash flow could constrain our ability to invest in operations, reduce leverage or return capital to shareholders, and could affect our ability to sustain our dividend growth program through 2022. This program may be affected by factors such as the competitive environment, economic performance in Canada, our earnings and free cash flow, our levels of capital expenditures and spectrum licence purchases, acquisitions, the management of our capital structure, regulatory decisions and developments, and business continuity events. Quarterly dividend decisions are subject to assessment and determination by our Board of Directors based on our financial position and outlook. Shares may be purchased under our normal course issuer bid (NCIB) when and if we consider it opportunistic, based on our financial position and outlook, and the market price of TELUS Common Shares. There can be no assurance that our dividend growth program or any NCIB will be maintained, not changed and/or completed.

 

·                  Taxation matters including: interpretation of complex domestic and foreign tax laws by the relevant tax authorities that may differ from our interpretations; the timing and character of income and deductions, such as tax depreciation and operating expenses; tax credits or other attributes; changes in tax laws, including tax rates; tax expenses being materially different than anticipated, including the taxability of income and deductibility of tax attributes; elimination of income tax deferrals through the use of different tax year-ends for operating partnerships and corporate partners; and changes to the interpretation of tax laws, including those resulting from changes to applicable accounting standards or the adoption of more aggressive auditing practices by tax authorities, tax reassessments or adverse court decisions impacting the tax payable by us.

 

·                  Litigation and legal matters including: our ability to successfully respond to investigations and regulatory proceedings; our ability to defend against existing and potential claims and lawsuits (including intellectual property infringement claims and class actions based on consumer claims, data, privacy or security breaches and secondary market liability), or to negotiate and execute upon indemnity rights or other protections in respect of such claims and lawsuits; and the complexity of legal compliance in domestic and foreign jurisdictions, including compliance with competition, anti-bribery and foreign corrupt practices laws.

 

·                  Health, safety and the environment including: lost employee work time resulting from illness or injury, public concerns related to radio frequency emissions, environmental issues affecting our business, including climate change, waste and waste recycling, risks relating to fuel systems on our properties, changing government and public expectations regarding environmental matters and our responses; and challenges associated with the COVID-19 pandemic and our response to it, which may add to or accentuate these factors.

 

·                  Economic growth and fluctuations including: the state of the economy in Canada, which may be influenced by economic and other developments outside of Canada, including potential outcomes of yet unknown policies and actions of foreign governments and the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic as well as public and private sector responses to the pandemic; expectations of future interest rates; inflation; unemployment levels; effects of fluctuating oil prices; effects of low business spending (such as reducing investments and cost structure); pension investment returns, funding and solvency discount rates; fluctuations in foreign exchange rates of the currencies in the regions in which we operate; the impact of tariffs on trade between Canada and the U.S., and global implications of the trade dynamic between major world economies.

 

These risks are described in additional detail in Section 9 General trends, outlook and assumptions, and regulatory developments and proceedings and Section 10 Risks and risk management in our 2019 annual MD&A. Those descriptions are incorporated by reference in this cautionary statement but are not intended to be a complete list of the risks that could affect the Company.

 

Many of these factors are beyond our control or our current expectations or knowledge. Additional risks and uncertainties not currently known to us or that we currently deem to be immaterial may also have a material adverse effect on our financial position, financial performance, cash flows, business or reputation. Except as otherwise indicated in this document, the forward-looking statements made herein do not reflect the potential impact of any non-recurring or special items or any mergers, acquisitions, dispositions or other business combinations or transactions that may be announced or that may occur after the date of this document.

 

Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements in this document describe our expectations, and are based on our assumptions, as at the date of this document and are subject to change after this date. Except as required by law, we disclaim any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements.

 

This cautionary statement qualifies all of the forward-looking statements in this MD&A.

 

 

4


 

Management’s discussion and analysis (MD&A)

 

July 31, 2020

 

Contents

 

Section

 

Description

1.

 

Introduction

 

1.1 Preparation of the MD&A

1.2 The environment in which we operate

1.3 Consolidated highlights

2.

 

Core business and strategy

 

 

3.

 

Corporate priorities for 2020

 

 

4.

 

Capabilities

 

4.1 Principal markets addressed and competition

4.2 Operational resources

4.3 Liquidity and capital resources

4.4 Changes in internal control over financial reporting

5.

 

Discussion of operations

 

5.1 General

5.2 Summary of consolidated quarterly results and trends

5.3 Consolidated operations

5.4 Wireless segment

5.5 Wireline segment

6.

 

Changes in financial position

 

 

7.

 

Liquidity and capital resources

 

7.1 Overview

7.2 Cash provided by operating activities

7.3 Cash used by investing activities

7.4 Cash provided (used) by financing activities

7.5 Liquidity and capital resource measures

7.6 Credit facilities

7.7 Sale of trade receivables

7.8 Credit ratings

7.9 Financial instruments, commitments and contingent liabilities

7.10 Outstanding share information

7.11 Transactions between related parties

8.

 

Accounting matters

 

8.1 Critical accounting estimates and judgments

8.2 Accounting policy developments

9.

 

Update to general trends, outlook and assumptions, and regulatory developments and proceedings

 

9.1 Communications industry regulatory developments and proceedings

10.

 

Risks and risk management

 

 

11.

 

Definitions and reconciliations

 

11.1 Non-GAAP and other financial measures

11.2 Operating indicators

 

Copyright © 2020 TELUS Corporation. All rights reserved. Certain products and services named in this report are trademarks. The symbols TM and ® indicate those owned by TELUS Corporation or its subsidiaries. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.

 

 

5


 

1.              Introduction

 

The forward-looking statements in this section including, for example, statements relating to the expected impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on our operations and financial condition, on demand for our products and services, and effect on our assets are qualified by the Caution regarding forward-looking statements at the beginning of this Management’s discussion and analysis (MD&A).

 

1.1 Preparation of the MD&A

 

The following sections are a discussion of our consolidated financial position and financial performance for the three-month and six-month periods ended June 30, 2020, and should be read together with our June 30, 2020, condensed interim consolidated statements of income and other comprehensive income, statements of financial position, statements of changes in owners’ equity and statements of cash flows, and the related notes (collectively referred to as the interim consolidated financial statements). The generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP) that we use are International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) as issued by the International Accounting Standards Board (IASB) and Canadian GAAP. In this MD&A, the term IFRS refers to these standards. In our discussion, we also use certain non-GAAP financial measures to evaluate our performance, monitor compliance with debt covenants and manage our capital structure. These measures are defined, qualified and reconciled with their nearest GAAP measures in Section 11.1. All currency amounts are in Canadian dollars, unless otherwise specified.

 

Additional information relating to the Company, including our annual information form and other filings with securities commissions or similar regulatory authorities in Canada, is available on SEDAR (sedar.com). Our filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission in the United States, including Form 40-F, are available on EDGAR (sec.gov).

 

Our disclosure controls and procedures are designed to provide reasonable assurance that all relevant information is gathered and reported to senior management on a timely basis, so that appropriate decisions can be made regarding public disclosure. This MD&A and the interim consolidated financial statements were reviewed by our Audit Committee and authorized by our Board of Directors (Board) for issuance on July 31, 2020.

 

In this MD&A, unless otherwise indicated, results for the second quarter of 2020 (three-month period ended June 30, 2020) and the six-month period ended June 30, 2020 are compared with results for the second quarter of 2019 (three-month period ended June 30, 2019) and the six-month period ended June 30, 2019.

 

On February 13, 2020, we announced a subdivision of our Common Shares on a two-for-one basis. On March 17, 2020, TELUS shareholders received one additional share for each share owned on the record date of March 13, 2020. All information pertaining to shares and per-share amounts in this MD&A for periods before March 17, 2020, reflects retrospective treatment of the share split.

 

1.2 The environment in which we operate

 

The success of our business and the challenges we face can best be understood with reference to the environment in which we operate, including broader economic factors that affect our customers and us, and the competitive nature of our operations.

 

COVID-19

 

The COVID-19 pandemic, which emerged in the first quarter of 2020, continued to have a pervasive global impact throughout the second quarter of 2020. Our Emergency Management Operating Committee (EMOC) continues to meet every week and provides ongoing reports to our Executive Team while continuing to leverage the expertise of the TELUS Medical Advisory Council (MAC), which is composed of five doctors including an infectious disease physician. Our persistent focus has been on keeping Canadians connected and the health, safety and well-being of our team members, our customers and our communities.

 

As of the date of this MD&A, we have re-opened approximately 90% of our conventional retail stores that were previously closed and have once again started to enter customers’ premises to perform more complex installations and repairs relating to our TELUS home services, all while following strict operating procedures. Our re-opening plans follow advice from the TELUS MAC, government and health agencies, as well as our own best practices.

 

Impacts to our financial condition and results of operations

 

Throughout the pandemic, we have continued to see unparalleled demand in all facets of our network, including an increase in wireless voice calls, short message service (SMS) traffic, multimedia message service (MMS) traffic, home internet usage, voice network traffic, and usage of 1-800 phone numbers and teleconference bridges, compared to the same period last year. Despite the increased traffic volumes, we are keeping our customers connected and providing them with a reliable, fast and consistent experience on our wireless and wireline broadband network, in both urban and rural communities across the country.

 

We remain committed to supporting Canadians throughout the pandemic. We continue to offer flexible payment options for consumers and small business customers who have been financially affected by the pandemic (herein referred to as COVID-19 customer measures). During the pandemic period through to June 30, 2020, we have deferred planned price increases, extended promotional periods, delayed suspensions, cancellations and write-offs

 

 

6


 

for our customers who were in collections, accepted payment arrangements, waived wireless roaming fees up to April 30, 2020, and waived home internet overage charges for customers without unlimited data plans up to June 30, 2020. We continue to offer free channel previews on Optik TV® and Pik TV®, including educational content for youth in partnership with Microsoft, and content spanning health and wellness as well as how-to technology videos. Families currently participating in our Internet for Good™ program have been provided with a credit for two months of free service. We recently expanded our Internet for Good program to people living with disabilities who receive financial disability assistance from the provincial governments in B.C., Alberta and Quebec. We also offer the first month free of TELUS Online Security Standard. Through our Mobility for Good™ program, we have donated close to 14,000 devices and tablets up to June 30, many with $0 rate plans, to enable isolated seniors, hospitalized patients and vulnerable Canadians stay connected. We also expanded our Mobility for Good program to hospital workers, providing a credit for two months of wireless service up to June 30 to frontline healthcare workers at select hospitals in the areas across the country that have been significantly impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.

 

In support of Canadian small businesses, our Business Solutions team launched the #StandWithOwners initiative. Through this social media campaign, we committed $500,000 in direct revenue, marketing and expert advice, exceeding our target in just four days.

 

The COVID-19 pandemic has impacted our operations and financial condition and we expect this to continue into the second half of 2020 and into 2021. Both revenue and earnings before interest, income taxes, depreciation and amortization (EBITDA) in addition to certain operational metrics have been negatively impacted, which is expected to continue in the near term. We continue to take steps to mitigate the negative effects of the pandemic, including on cash flow.

 

With respect to our wireless segment, we have experienced decreases in roaming revenues with the closure of borders and corresponding decline in customer travel, as well as with our decision to temporarily waive fees for customers who were outside of Canada to ensure they were kept connected to the people and information they need. We expect declines in roaming revenue to persist throughout the pandemic as border closures remain and decreases in customer travel continue.

 

Operational challenges

 

The federal government has categorized all telecommunications providers, including TELUS, as essential services for purposes of the COVID-19 pandemic. In addition, emergency measures taken by most provincial and territorial governments also recognize telecommunications providers as essential service providers that must continue operations. We anticipate this recognition will continue for the duration of the pandemic. As a result, we should be permitted to continue operations during these times.

 

Health and safety of our customers and team members

 

The health and safety of our employees and our customers is our top priority. For the past decade, our Work Styles® program has provided employees with flexible work options, both in and out of the office, to support the balance between work and personal life. As a result, when the COVID-19 pandemic struck, we were well-prepared, with a substantial portion of our domestic team already equipped to work from home.

 

In our first quarter 2020 MD&A, we reported that approximately 95% of domestic team members were working from home. In July, we invited approximately 5% of those team members back to our buildings. These are employees that we have determined require access to one of our buildings to be fully productive, such as employees requiring access to specialized equipment. We have put extensive health and safety measures in place in all of our offices, including physical distancing markers, enhanced cleaning protocols, elevator occupancy limits and common area/washroom limits. Team members working in our buildings are required to:

 

·                  Complete an online health self-assessment before entering

 

·                  Abide by face mask requirements at all times

 

·                  Maintain physical distancing

 

·                  Complete thermal screening where applicable.

 

The balance of team members will continue to work productively from home. If team members experience difficulties balancing COVID-19 pandemic-related impacts such as school closures, we are providing alternate arrangements including:

 

·                  Allowing normal weekly hours of work to be spread over the entire calendar week

 

·                  Supporting hours of work outside of traditional business hours

 

·                  Allowing the work day to be split into multiple, shorter segments.

 

 

7


 

We have also enabled more than 90% of our international team members to work and support customers from home and in other modified work locations. Our TELUS International (Cda) Inc. (TI) operations worldwide are continuing to execute and refine their return to office plan into the third quarter of 2020 as restrictions ease in their operational regions. TI will continue to monitor the situation and take steps based on guidance from local authorities as well as advice from TELUS’ MAC and its own best practices.

 

Retail

 

As reported in our first quarter 2020 MD&A, we made the decision to close approximately 90% of our conventional retail stores. The remaining 10% of stores were open for essential customer support and were operating with reduced hours, with all essential stores having external access (i.e. not located in shopping malls).

 

During the second quarter of 2020, in line with the lifting of various provincial and federal government restrictions, we started to re-open our retail stores. As of the date of this MD&A, we have re-opened approximately 90% of conventional retail stores that were previously closed as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. All of our stores follow strict procedures to protect our customers and team members, including:

 

·      Limiting the number of customers in the store; customers not wishing to wait are able to leave their contact information and receive a call back

 

·      Implementing physical distancing measures in the store, including a new format of stores and kiosks

 

·      Enhancing in-store hygiene measures.

 

Field technicians

 

We rolled out our virtual technician model in the first quarter of 2020. This model enables technicians to perform their work without entering a customer’s premises. The technician provisions the equipment, sanitizes it, leaves it at the customer’s door and then guides the customer through the installation process via a smartphone app. This model has been successful and continues to be our preferred method of serving customers. During the last three weeks of the second quarter, upon agreement from both the customer and technician, technicians wearing the appropriate personal protective equipment have entered customers’ premises to perform complex installations and repairs that could not be done virtually.

 

Sustainability impacts

 

Through initiatives taken during the pandemic such as: (i) the hibernation of most floors in our administrative office buildings; and (ii) the increased utilization of our Work Styles program where team members do not have to commute to an office building, we have observed a decrease in our associated domestic greenhouse gas emissions when compared to the pre-pandemic period. These initiatives are being evaluated for long-term application and contribution to our target of having our operations become net carbon neutral by 2030 (see Section 3).

 

Scorecard

 

The 2020 corporate scorecard, including targets, has been simplified and re-prioritized reflecting the new operating environment in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The adjustment response is consistent with past practice reflecting strategy changes and matters beyond those considered by the Human Resources and Compensation Committee (HRCC) and Board at the time the performance measures were approved. Concurrent with the review and approval of the first quarter of 2020 corporate scorecard results, the HRCC and Board reviewed and approved the revised scorecard targets for the second quarter of 2020 to fourth quarter of 2020. The revised 2020 corporate scorecard metrics and targets formed the baseline for the business unit scorecards, which were also revised in the second quarter of 2020.

 

Internal control over financial reporting

 

Employees responsible for financial reporting systems, internal controls over financial reporting, and disclosure controls and procedures were equipped to work from home with the Work Styles program prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, and as such, we do not expect any substantive changes to these controls and procedures.

 

Impacts to demand for our products and services

 

As previously described, our network traffic has significantly increased since the start of the pandemic through the second quarter of 2020 and the increased volumes of traffic are expected to continue into the last two quarters of 2020.

 

We experienced decreases of wireless gross additions, net additions, customer renewals and mobile phone churn rate during the second quarter of 2020 with the closure of our retail stores. However, we expect that the opening of previously closed stores will mitigate these temporary declines. We continue to adjust our operations and have seen increased utilization of our digital assets including telus.com to support the purchase of new devices and migrations to electronic billing, as well as experiencing increased activity on the MyTELUS mobile app. Consistent with lower gross additions, our cash outlays for mobile phones correspondingly decreased with lower equipment

 

 

8


 

financing or subsidies. The number of traditional wireline installations has decreased and accordingly, our TV net additions decreased. We have experienced lower churn of our wireline products, and we continue to evolve our operations and support our customers virtually. With respect to small and medium-sized business (SMB), we expect lower EBITDA contribution from our business customers as SMB enterprises close and/or have reduced their operations.

 

For TELUS Health, increased demand for virtual care solutions carried into the second quarter of 2020. With the introduction of virtual fee codes by every provincial government to enable remote patient care during the COVID-19 pandemic, TELUS Health launched its pre-built video visit functionality integrated with TELUS electronic medical records (EMR). This feature enabled 26,000 Canadian clinicians on a core TELUS EMR solution to conduct virtual visits with their patients. We are seeing continued demand for our one-on-one virtual health solutions, with accelerated adoption of both Akira by TELUS Health by publicly-funded and business customers as well as increased demand for Babylon by TELUS Health. We are also seeing increased demand for Home Health Monitoring (HHM) solutions with certain provinces, as well as increased demand for our LivingWell Companion™ and DirectAlert by TELUS Health, enabling Canadians to access 24/7 emergency support. In addition, our seven Medisys Health Group clinics and our four Copeman Healthcare centres re-opened in July for in-clinic services while maintaining virtual consultation offerings to clients. Virtual consultations were launched as part of a COVID-19 business impact assessment strategy and as a result of their successful client adoption, virtual consultations will be maintained in a post-COVID-19 environment.

 

For our TI customer care and business services, operations have been impacted by government announcements that resulted in the closure of certain centres, particularly those delivered through our locations in the Philippines and Central America. Despite these closures, our TI teams managed to enable more than 90% of our team members to provide remote support from home and in other modified work locations. TI clients also experienced significant changes, in particular clients in travel and hospitality-related businesses; however, the decline in business from these clients was more than offset by increases in business from clients in the gaming, media and ecommerce food delivery industries.

 

Impacts to our capital and financial resources, overall liquidity position and outlook

 

We have a strong liquidity position with a robust outlook and are not relying on a COVID-19-related supplier finance programs to manage our cash flow. During the second quarter of 2020, our long-term debt issue and early redemptions of 2021 Notes were successful, as described in Section 1.3. Our access to capital has not been materially impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. Our credit facilities have not changed and are not reasonably likely to change due to the pandemic. We had liquidity of over $3.6 billion at June 30, 2020, composed of cash and temporary investments of approximately $1.0 billion, a TELUS Corporation credit facility of approximately $2.25 billion and our trade receivables securitization program of $400 million. Also at June 30, 2020, we could offer $2.5 billion of debt or equity securities pursuant to a shelf prospectus that is in effect until June 2022. Our sources and uses of cash have not been materially impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. Following the maturity of our June 2021 TELUS Communications Inc. 10.65% debentures, Series 3 totalling $175 million, our next TELUS Corporation notes mature in March 2022.

 

Our COVID-19 customer measures did not materially affect our financial condition or liquidity. We have not provided concessions or modified terms of arrangements or modified other contractual arrangements in response to the COVID-19 pandemic that may materially impact our financial condition, liquidity or capital resources.

 

Funding sources, covenants, debt and other obligations

 

COVID-19 related impacts have not affected our ability to access traditional funding sources as were available to us in recent periods. As described in Section 1.3, on May 29, 2020, we issued $400 million of Series CAB notes at 3.95% and $600 million of Series CAC notes at 2.35%, which had the lowest Canadian dollar yields in 30-year and 7-year tenors in our history, respectively.

 

We have not provided additional collateral, guarantees or equity to obtain funding nor have we had material changes to our cost of capital due to the COVID-19 pandemic. As described in Section 7.8, there have been no changes to our credit ratings during the pandemic.

 

There is no material uncertainty about our ongoing ability to meet the covenants of our TELUS Corporation credit agreements. Our TI subsidiary continues to forecast being in compliance with its leverage ratio under its credit facility and will take appropriate mitigating actions if necessary.

 

At June 30, 2020, our fixed-rate debt as a proportion of total indebtedness (excluding lease liabilities and other long-term debt) was 96%, the average term to maturity of our long-term debt (excluding the revolving component of the TI credit facility, lease liabilities and other long-term debt) was approximately 13 years, and the weighted average

 

 

9


 

cost of our long-term debt (excluding the revolving component of the TI credit facility, lease liabilities and other long-term debt) was 3.86% (see section 7.5 Liquidity and capital resource measures).

 

We have been able to service our debt and other obligations on a regular basis without material changes compared to pre-COVID-19 levels. We have taken advantage of some payment deferrals that various levels of government have provided. For example, corporate income tax instalments, property tax payments and spectrum licence remittances have been deferred until August and September 2020. However, we do not foresee any liquidity challenges once these accommodations end.

 

COVID-19 effect on assets

 

Due to the widespread, pre-COVID-19 adoption of our Work Styles program, our finance operations have not been consequentially impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. We expect to experience delays in collection of accounts receivable as the pandemic has created financial hardships for many of our customers. We recognize these challenges our customers are facing and we have implemented COVID-19 customer measures as noted under Impacts to our financial condition and results of operations to help alleviate some of the pressure. We have experienced an increase in bad debt expense compared to pre-pandemic periods, as we have provided for the financial and operational impacts of these considerations and concessions to our customers. We will continue to work with our customers who require hardship assistance in addition to government programs that are intended to support those financially impacted. Various levels of government to which we remit funds have deferred short-term payment requirements for certain items, which will result in atypical decreases in some prepaid assets and increases in some liabilities in the short-term as most are expected to be paid in the second half of 2020. We do not expect significant changes in judgments in determining the fair value of assets.

 

Material impairments

 

The carrying values of intangible assets with indefinite lives and goodwill are periodically tested for impairment and our accounting policy is that we, at a minimum, perform this test annually in December. When we perform the test, the recoverable amounts of the cash-generating units’ assets are determined based on a fair value less costs of disposal calculation. As of the date of this MD&A, the COVID-19 pandemic has not materially changed our cash flow projections or key assumptions and there are no other indicators of impairment, so, as a result, we have not tested and compared the carrying values of our cash-generating units with their recoverable amounts subsequent to the December 2019 test.

 

Business continuity plans

 

For many years, we have had, and continue to have, business continuity plans in place, including an established EMOC, which includes representatives of all of our business units. EMOC had been monitoring COVID-19 prior to it being characterized as a pandemic. As COVID-19 progressed, in early March 2020, EMOC was activated to a heightened state of readiness. We do not foresee requiring material expenditures to implement our business continuity plans relating to the COVID-19 pandemic and do not face any material resource constraints in implementing our plans.

 

Supply chain and methods of distribution

 

We continue to leverage our digital capabilities as a key sales channel. Given the continuing challenges that our suppliers may have in sourcing their own materials, and their historic disposition to launch next-generation devices at certain times of the year, there may be delays to the launches of their latest devices causing a ripple effect with associated equipment revenues.

 

We do not expect the anticipated impact of the pandemic to materially change the relationship between our costs and revenues.

 

Capital expenditures and other capital resources

 

Keeping Canadians connected during the pandemic is of utmost importance to our team. Some planned capital expenditure activity has been deferred in response to customer requests and/or our inability to access work sites. However, we have redirected other capital expenditures to ensure our networks continue to operate at leading levels and to facilitate millions of Canadians now working and learning from home and the resultant increased demand for services such as 1-800 phone numbers, conference bridges, video streaming and online activity. Other capital expenditures that have been expedited to take advantage of equipment and deployment cost opportunities include advancing our fibre investment in Alberta which reinforces our commitment to support Alberta and its economy, as well as network upgrades.

 

We have in place a normal course issuer bid that concludes on January 1, 2021. We will purchase Common Shares only when and if we consider it opportunistic. We have not reduced or suspended dividend payments;

 

 

10


 

however our Board determined it would be prudent to sustain the current dividend per share and defer any dividend increase until the release of our third quarter 2020 results in November. We have not ceased any material business operations nor reduced our human capital resource expenditures.

 

Constraints or other impacts on human capital resources and productivity

 

To the extent practicable, substantially all retail team members who were impacted by store closures were redeployed to other areas of our business where we saw an increased need for customer support, including our call centre operations. To help support our team members’ mental well-being during the pandemic, we maintained an online COVID-19 hub, which is a virtual gathering place for team members to learn, connect, work and be well together. In addition, team members receive regular communications from our Chief Neuroscience Officer (CNO) on topics related to supporting mental well-being, and team members are invited to attend virtual town halls with our CNO to ask questions related to mental and physical health.

 

TI has been impacted by government-mandated site closures in some countries. To the extent possible, work from those sites that are subject to a government-mandated closure has been redistributed to less-impacted locations. TELUS International also has a significant proportion of its workforce using our Work Styles program in every country in which it operates, therefore enabling it to serve the majority of its customers with minimal service interruptions.

 

Travel restrictions and border closure impacts

 

Thanks to the effectiveness of our technology in bridging geographic divides, travel restrictions and border closures are not expected to have a material impact on our ability to operate or achieve business goals. For example, our 2020 annual general meeting of shareholders was held using a virtual-only format via a live webcast.

 

1.3 Consolidated highlights

 

Our Board of Directors

 

At our 2020 annual general meeting held on May 7, 2020, the nominees listed in the TELUS 2020 information circular were elected as directors of TELUS, including a new nominee, Thomas Flynn. Tom is the Chief Financial Officer of BMO Financial Group, a position he has held since March 2011. Prior to that, he held several leadership positions at the Bank of Montreal, including Executive Vice President and Chief Risk Officer, Executive Vice President Finance and Treasurer, and Head of the Financial Services Corporate and Investment Banking Group in BMO Capital Markets.

 

During the second quarter of 2020, Stockwell Day stepped down from our Board.

 

Long-term debt issue and early redemption of 2021 Notes

 

On May 21, 2020, we announced a dual-tranche offering of $400 million through the re-opening of Series CAB notes at 3.95% maturing on February 16, 2050, and $600 million of senior unsecured 2.35% Notes, Series CAC, maturing on January 27, 2028, which were issued on May 29, 2020. The net proceeds were used for the early redemption of notes described in the following paragraph and for general corporate purposes.

 

On June 23, 2020, we early redeemed all of our $400 million 3.60%, Series CM Notes, due January 26, 2021, and all of our $500 million 3.20%, Series CO Notes, due April 5, 2021. The long-term debt prepayment premium for both redemptions recorded in the three-month period ended June 30, 2020, was approximately $18 million before income taxes ($0.01 per share after income taxes). Subsequent to this early redemption, we no longer have any TELUS Corporation notes maturing in 2021.

 

5G launch

 

In June 2020, we launched the first wave of our 5G network in Vancouver, Montreal, Calgary, Edmonton and the Greater Toronto Area. We will continue to expand to an additional 26 markets across Canada throughout the remainder of the year. TELUS 5G is being made available at no additional cost on our Peace of Mind plans.

 

Mobile Klinik acquisition

 

On July 1, 2020, we acquired 100% of Mobile Klinik, a storefront wireless device repair and sales business complementary to our existing wireless lines of business. Consideration of $165 million consisted of: cash of $138 million; working capital adjustments; and contingent consideration of $31 million, payment of which is dependent upon achieving revenue, profitability, store expansion and wireless subscriber addition targets through 2023. The investment was made with a view to growing our wireless business.

 

 

11


 

Consolidated highlights

 

($ millions, except footnotes and unless

 

Second quarters ended June 30

 

Six-month periods ended June 30

 

noted otherwise)

 

2020

 

2019

 

Change

 

2020

 

2019

 

Change

 

Consolidated statements of income

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Operating revenues

 

3,728

 

3,597

 

3.6

%

7,422

 

7,103

 

4.5

%

Operating income

 

634

 

740

 

(14.3

)%

1,318

 

1,502

 

(12.3

)%

Income before income taxes

 

432

 

551

 

(21.6

)%

924

 

1,145

 

(19.3

)%

Net income

 

315

 

520

 

(39.4

)%

668

 

957

 

(30.2

)%

Net income attributable to Common Shares

 

290

 

517

 

(43.9

)%

640

 

945

 

(32.3

)%

Adjusted Net income1

 

316

 

416

 

(24.0

)%

716

 

869

 

(17.6

)%

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Earnings per share (EPS) ($)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Basic EPS

 

0.23

 

0.43

 

(46.5

)%

0.51

 

0.79

 

(35.4

)%

Adjusted basic EPS1

 

0.25

 

0.35

 

(28.6

)%

0.57

 

0.73

 

(21.9

)%

Diluted EPS

 

0.23

 

0.43

 

(46.5

)%

0.51

 

0.79

 

(35.4

)%

Dividends declared per Common Share ($)

 

0.29125

 

0.28125

 

3.6

%

0.58250

 

0.55375

 

5.2

%

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Basic weighted-average Common Shares outstanding (millions)

 

1,278

 

1,203

 

6.2

%

1,263

 

1,202

 

5.1

%

Consolidated statements of cash flows

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Cash provided by operating activities

 

1,462

 

1,160

 

26.0

%

2,639

 

1,950

 

35.3

%

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Cash used by investing activities

 

(823

)

(1,600

)

(48.6

)%

(2,782

)

(2,562

)

8.6

%

Acquisitions

 

(107

)

(26

)

n/m

 

(1,211

)

(188

)

n/m

 

Capital expenditures2

 

(756

)

(770

)

(1.8

)%

(1,421

)

(1,416

)

0.4

%

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Cash provided (used) by financing activities

 

(726

)

69

 

n/m

 

579

 

415

 

39.5

%

Other highlights

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Subscriber connections3 (thousands)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

15,411

 

14,254

 

8.1

%

EBITDA1

 

1,359

 

1,373

 

(1.0

)%

2,768

 

2,752

 

0.6

%

Restructuring and other costs1

 

70

 

29

 

141.4

%

130

 

65

 

100.0

%

Adjusted EBITDA1,4

 

1,361

 

1,402

 

(2.9

)%

2,836

 

2,817

 

0.7

%

Adjusted EBITDA margin1 (%)

 

37.2

 

39.0

 

(1.8

)pts.

38.6

 

39.7

 

(1.1

)pts.

Free cash flow1

 

511

 

324

 

57.7

%

1,056

 

477

 

121.4

%

Net debt to EBITDA — excluding restructuring and other costs1 (times)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

3.06

 

2.94

 

0.12

 

 


Notations used in MD&A: n/m — not meaningful; pts. — percentage points.

 

(1)         These are non-GAAP and other financial measures. See Section 11.1 Non-GAAP and other financial measures.

 

(2)         Capital expenditures include assets purchased, excluding right-of-use lease assets, but not yet paid for, and consequently differ from Cash payments for capital assets, excluding spectrum licences, as reported in the interim consolidated financial statements. Refer to Note 31 of the interim consolidated financial statements for further information.

 

(3)         The sum of active mobile phone subscribers, mobile connected device subscribers, internet subscribers, residential voice subscribers, TV subscribers and security subscribers, measured at the end of the respective periods based on information in billing and other source systems. Effective for the third quarter of 2019, with retrospective application to the launch of TELUS-branded security services at the beginning of the third quarter of 2018, we have added security subscriber connections to our total subscriber connections. December 31, 2019 security subscriber connections have been increased to include approximately 490,000 subscribers related to our acquisition of ADT Security Services Canada, Inc. (ADT Canada) (acquired on November 5, 2019).

 

(4)         Adjusted EBITDA for all periods excludes restructuring and other costs (see Section 11.1 for restructuring and other costs amounts). Adjusted EBITDA for the second quarter of 2020 and first six months of 2020 excludes a retirement of a provision arising from business acquisition-related written put options within TI as well as lease-up period and other equity losses related to real estate joint ventures.

 

Operating highlights

 

·                  Consolidated operating revenues increased by $131 million in the second quarter of 2020 and $319 million in the first six months of 2020:

 

Service revenues increased by $164 million in the second quarter of 2020 and $389 million in the first six months of 2020, due to growth in wireline data services revenue. This growth was partly offset by the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic and the ongoing declines in wireline legacy voice and legacy data service revenues.

 

Equipment revenues decreased by $95 million in the second quarter of 2020 and $146 million in the first six months of 2020, reflecting lower wireless contracted volumes related to COVID-19 pandemic impacts including the temporary closure of approximately 90% of our conventional retail stores, in addition to device financing programs.

 

 

12


 

Other operating income increased by $62 million in the second quarter of 2020 and $76 million in the first six months of 2020, primarily due to a gain on a retirement of a provision arising from business acquisition-related written put options within TI.

 

For additional details on operating revenues, see Section 5.4 Wireless segment and Section 5.5 Wireline segment.

 

·                  During the 12-month period ending on June 30, 2020, our total subscriber connections increased by 1,157,000. This reflects an increase of 2.4% in mobile phone subscribers, 21.2% in mobile connected device subscribers, 6.4% in internet subscribers, 4.4% in TV subscribers and 546,000 in security subscribers, including the acquired 490,000 ADT Canada customers, partly offset by a decline of 3.8% in residential voice subscribers.

 

Our mobile phone net additions were 61,000 in the second quarter of 2020 and 82,000 in the first six months of 2020, down 21,000 and 11,000, respectively, from the same periods in 2019. The decreases in net additions were driven by the temporary closure of approximately 90% of conventional retail stores and fewer customer additions attributed to restricted travel, partly offset by our customers first initiatives including the enhanced use of our digital footprint and our leading network quality. Lower customer additions were partly offset by lower mobile phone churn. Our mobile phone churn rate was 0.80% in the second quarter of 2020 and 0.87% in the first six months of 2020, down from 1.01% in both the second quarter of 2019 and the first six months of 2019, reflecting reduced switching activity between carriers due to the COVID-19 pandemic partially attributed to the temporary closure of certain sales channels referenced above. Mobile connected device net additions were 33,000 in the second quarter of 2020 and 82,000 in the first six months of 2020, down 39,000 for both the quarter and the six-month period, primarily due to lower Internet of Things (IoT) gross additions from a reduction in business customer activity as these customers delayed purchasing decisions during the pandemic. (See Section 5.4 Wireless segment for additional details.)

 

Internet net additions were 37,000 in the second quarter of 2020 and 63,000 in the first six months of 2020, up 12,000 and 16,000, respectively, from the same periods in 2019, due to continued net new demand from consumers and businesses as we keep our customers connected as well as lower customer churn. TV net additions were 8,000 in the second quarter of 2020 and 16,000 in the first six months of 2020, down 8,000 in the quarter and 17,000 in the six-month period, mainly due to lower gross additions as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic and the changing landscape of increased streaming services, partly offset by lower churn. Our continued focus on expanding our addressable high-speed internet and Optik TV footprint, connecting more homes and businesses directly to fibre, diversifying our product offerings, and bundling these products and services together, as well as our ongoing focus on our customer service and reliability, contributed to combined internet and TV subscriber growth of 173,000 or 5.7% over the last 12 months. We had made TELUS PureFibre® available to approximately 73% of our broadband footprint by June 30, 2020. Security net additions were 12,000 in the second quarter of 2020 and 27,000 in the first six months of 2020, up 1,000 and 10,000, respectively, from the same periods in 2019, reflecting strong organic growth as we keep our customers connected and protected. (See Section 5.5 Wireline segment for additional details.)

 

·                  Operating income decreased by $106 million in the second quarter of 2020 and $184 million in the first six months of 2020. Excluding the effects of a gain on a retirement of a provision arising from business acquisition-related written put options within TI of $71 million, Operating income decreased by $177 million in the second quarter of 2020 and $255 million in the first six months of 2020 reflecting multiple impacts from the COVID-19 pandemic, increased depreciation and amortization, declines in wireline legacy voice and legacy data services, higher non-labour-related restructuring and other costs, and lease-up period and other equity losses related to real estate joint ventures.

 

EBITDA, which includes restructuring and other costs and lease-up period and other equity losses related to real estate joint ventures, decreased by $14 million or 1.0% in the second quarter of 2020 and increased by $16 million or 0.6% in the first six months of 2020.

 

Adjusted EBITDA, which excludes restructuring and other costs, lease-up period and other equity losses related to real estate joint ventures and a gain on a retirement of a provision arising from business acquisition-related written put options within TI, decreased by $41 million or 2.9% in the second quarter of 2020, reflecting multiple impacts from the COVID-19 pandemic and declines in wireline legacy voice and legacy data services. This was partly offset by growth in wireline data service margins resulting from business acquisitions, expanded services and subscriber base growth, an increased EBITDA contribution from our organic TI business and enhanced cost efficiency programs.

 

Adjusted EBITDA increased by $19 million or 0.7% in the first six months of 2020, reflecting growth in wireline data service margins resulting from business acquisitions, expanded services and subscriber base growth, an increased EBITDA contribution from our organic TI business and a decrease in a provision arising from business

 

 

13


 

acquisition-related written put options within TI. This growth was partly offset by multiple impacts from the COVID-19 pandemic and by declines in wireline legacy voice and legacy data services. (See Section 5.3 Consolidated operations for additional details.)

 

·                  Income before income taxes decreased by $119 million in the second quarter of 2020 and $221 million in the first six months of 2020 as a result of lower Operating income, as noted above, and increased Financing costs. The increase in Financing costs resulted primarily from the $18 million long-term debt prepayment premium in the second quarter of 2020 and higher average long-term debt outstanding, in part attributable to the acquisition of spectrum licences and business acquisitions. (See Financing costs in Section 5.3.)

 

·                  Income taxes increased by $86 million in the second quarter of 2020 and $68 million in the first six months of 2020. The effective tax rate increased from 5.6% to 27.1% in the second quarter of 2020 and from 16.4% to 27.7% in the first six months of 2020. These increases were predominantly attributed to the prior year revaluation of the deferred income tax liability for the multi-year reduction in the Alberta provincial corporate tax rate that was substantively enacted in the second quarter of 2019.

 

·                  Net income attributable to Common Shares decreased by $227 million in the second quarter of 2020 and $305 million in the first six months of 2020. These decreases resulted from the after-tax impacts of lower Operating income and higher Financing costs.

 

Adjusted Net income excludes the effects of restructuring and other costs, income tax-related adjustments, lease-up period and other equity losses related to real estate joint ventures, long-term debt prepayment premium and a gain on a retirement of a provision arising from business acquisition-related written put options within TI. Adjusted Net income decreased by $100 million or 24.0% in the second quarter of 2020 and $153 million or 17.6% in the first six months of 2020.

 

Reconciliation of adjusted Net income

 

 

 

Second quarters ended June 30

 

Six-month periods ended June 30

 

($ millions)

 

2020

 

2019

 

Change

 

2020

 

2019

 

Change

 

Net income attributable to Common Shares

 

290

 

517

 

(227

)

640

 

945

 

(305

)

Add (deduct):

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Restructuring and other costs, after income taxes

 

42

 

22

 

20

 

89

 

47

 

42

 

Income tax-related adjustments

 

2

 

(123

)

125

 

(1

)

(123

)

122

 

Lease-up period and other equity losses related to real estate joint ventures

 

3

 

 

3

 

9

 

 

9

 

Long-term debt prepayment premium, after income taxes

 

14

 

 

14

 

14

 

 

14

 

Retirement of a provision arising from business acquisition-related written put options within TI, after income taxes

 

(35

)

 

(35

)

(35

)

 

(35

)

Adjusted Net income

 

316

 

416

 

(100

)

716

 

869

 

(153

)

 

·                  Basic EPS decreased by $0.20 or 46.5% in the second quarter of 2020 and $0.28 or 35.4% in the first six months of 2020 as a result of the after-tax impacts of lower Operating income and higher Financing costs as well as the effect of a higher number of Common Shares outstanding.

 

Adjusted basic EPS excludes the effects of restructuring and other costs, income tax-related adjustments, lease-up period and other equity losses related to real estate joint ventures, long-term debt prepayment premium and a gain on a retirement of a provision arising from business acquisition-related written put options within TI. Adjusted basic EPS decreased by $0.10 or 28.6% in the second quarter of 2020 and $0.16 or 21.9% in the first six months of 2020.

 

 

14


 

Reconciliation of adjusted basic EPS

 

 

 

Second quarters ended June 30

 

Six-month periods ended June 30

 

($)

 

2020

 

2019

 

Change

 

2020

 

2019

 

Change

 

Basic EPS

 

0.23

 

0.43

 

(0.20

)

0.51

 

0.79

 

(0.28

)

Add (deduct):

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Restructuring and other costs, after income taxes, per share

 

0.04

 

0.02

 

0.02

 

0.07

 

0.04

 

0.03

 

Income tax-related adjustments, per share

 

 

(0.10

)

0.10

 

 

(0.10

)

0.10

 

Lease-up period and other equity losses related to real estate joint ventures, per share

 

 

 

 

0.01

 

 

0.01

 

Long-term debt prepayment premium, after income taxes, after income taxes, per share

 

0.01

 

 

0.01

 

0.01

 

 

0.01

 

Retirement of a provision arising from business acquisition-related written put options within TI, after income taxes, per share

 

(0.03

)

 

(0.03

)

(0.03

)

 

(0.03

)

Adjusted basic EPS

 

0.25

 

0.35

 

(0.10

)

0.57

 

0.73

 

(0.16

)

 

·                  Dividends declared per Common Share were $0.29125 in the second quarter of 2020, up 3.6% from one year earlier. The Board elected to declare a third quarter dividend of $0.29125 per share on our issued and outstanding Common Shares, payable on October 1, 2020, to shareholders of record at the close of business on September 10, 2020. The third quarter dividend increased by $0.01 per share or 3.6% from the $0.28125 per share dividend declared one year earlier.

 

Liquidity and capital resource highlights

 

·                  Net debt to EBITDA — excluding restructuring and other costs ratio was 3.06 times at June 30, 2020, up from 2.94 times at June 30, 2019, as the increase in net debt, partly attributed to the acquisition of spectrum licences and business acquisitions, exceeded the effect of the increase in EBITDA — excluding restructuring and other costs as the COVID-19 pandemic impacts reduced EBITDA. As at June 30, 2020, the acquisition of spectrum licences increased the ratio by approximately 0.21 and business acquisitions over the last 12 months increased the ratio by approximately 0.33. (See Section 4.3 Liquidity and capital resources and Section 7.5 Liquidity and capital resource measures.)

 

·                  Cash provided by operating activities increased by $302 million in the second quarter of 2020 and $689 million in the first six months of 2020, largely attributable to decreased income tax payments, which mainly reflected a higher final income tax payment of $270 million in the first six months of 2019 for the 2018 income tax year, which did not recur to the same extent in the first six months of 2020, as well as the deferral of income tax instalment payments, other operating working capital changes, and lower restructuring and other costs disbursements, net of expense.

 

·                  Cash used by investing activities decreased by $777 million in the second quarter of 2020, primarily attributed to the $931 million cash payments for the 600 MHz spectrum auction in the second quarter of 2019. Cash used by investing activities increased by $220 million in the first six months of 2020, largely attributed to acquisitions. Acquisitions increased by $81 million in the second quarter of 2020 and $1,023 million in the first six months of 2020, as we made larger cash payments for business acquisitions, including our Competence Call Center acquisition on January 31, 2020. Capital expenditures decreased by $14 million in the second quarter of 2020 due to timing of our fibre build activities and lower success-based capital congruent with the decline in gross loading during the pandemic. Capital expenditures increased by $5 million in the first six months of 2020, due to increased investments in our 5G network, in addition to investments to increase system capacity and reliability during the pandemic. We had made TELUS PureFibre available to approximately 73% of our broadband footprint by June 30, 2020. (See Section 7.3 Cash used by investing activities.)

 

·                  Cash provided by financing activities decreased by $795 million in the second quarter of 2020, primarily reflecting increased redemptions of long-term debt, net of issuances. Cash provided by financing activities increased by $164 million in the first six months of 2020, largely attributed to our February 26, 2020 equity issue. (See Section 7.4 Cash provided (used) by financing activities.)

 

·                  Free cash flow increased by $187 million in the second quarter of 2020 and $579 million in the first six months of 2020, resulting primarily from decreased income tax payments as there was a higher final income tax payment of $270 million in the first quarter of 2019 for the 2018 income tax year in addition to the deferral of income tax instalment payments into the third quarter of 2020; the timing related to device subsidy repayments and associated revenue recognition and our TELUS Easy Payment® device financing program; and lower restructuring and other costs disbursements. The free cash flow increases in the second quarter of 2020 and the first six months of 2020

 

 

15


 

were partly offset by increased interest paid. Our definition of free cash flow, for which there is no industry alignment, is unaffected by accounting changes that do not impact cash, such as IFRS 15 and IFRS 16. (See calculation in Section 11.1 Non-GAAP and other financial measures.)

 

2.              Core business and strategy

 

Our core business and our strategic imperatives were described in our 2019 annual MD&A.

 

3.              Corporate priorities for 2020

 

Our annual corporate priorities are used to advance our long-term strategic imperatives and address near-term opportunities and challenges. However, these priorities have been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic and we have focused on keeping Canadians connected and the safety and well-being of our team members, our customers and our communities (see Section 1.2 for further discussion on COVID-19 pandemic impacts.) The following table provides a discussion of activities and initiatives that relate to our 2020 corporate priorities.

 

Honouring our customers, communities and social purpose by our team delivering on our brand promise

 

·                  In May 2020, the Commission for Complaints for Telecom-television Services (CCTS) issued its mid-year report for the period ended August 1, 2019 to January 31, 2020, and TELUS was again the subject of the fewest customer complaints among national carriers with 696 accepted complaints, while Koodo® was again the subject of the fewest complaints among the national flanker brands with 316 accepted complaints. TELUS, Koodo and Public Mobile each saw year-over-year reductions in the total customer complaints accepted by the CCTS with improvements of (7)%, (5)% and (8)%, respectively.

 

·                  In 2011, we initiated our first set of long-term energy and greenhouse gas emission reduction goals and surpassed them in early 2019, ahead of our 2020 target. As such, in our 2019 Sustainability Report issued during the second quarter of 2020, we released our new transformational climate action targets, including having our operations become net carbon neutral by 2030.

 

·                  During the quarter, we were recognized by the Business Continuity Institute Americas with the Most Effective Recovery award for our response to the 2019 wildfires in Northern Alberta.

 

·                  In April 2020, we launched our broadband push-to-talk service for business and government customers, which includes secure push-to-talk, live location tracking and mapping, and secure group multimedia messaging.

 

·                  In May 2020, both TELUS and Koodo launched a free optional Call Control feature that helps screen out unwanted robo-callers.

 

·                  In May 2020, we launched our #StandWithOwners program in support of Canadian small businesses through the COVID-19 pandemic, committing $500,000 in direct revenue, marketing and expert advice to support, promote and celebrate small business owners.

 

·                  As part of our Data for Good program, we have partnered with the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) to provide de-identified and aggregated network mobility data free of charge until September 2020 in support of COVID-19 research. For research projects that qualify, NSERC will offer a $50,000 grant as part of their NSERC Alliance COVID-19 grants program.

 

·                  Throughout the second quarter of 2020, we continued to leverage our Connecting for Good programs to support vulnerable Canadians through the global pandemic and also expanded program eligibility to support those who need it most.

 

·                  In April 2020, we expedited access to our Internet for Good program by partnering with B.C. and Alberta school boards and enabling schools and teachers to extend the program to students in need and supporting them to continue learning from the safety of their home during the COVID-19 pandemic.

 

·                  In July 2020, we expanded our Internet for Good program to include people living with disabilities who receive financial disability assistance from the provincial governments in B.C., Alberta and Quebec.

 

·                  We added over 1,200 new households to our Internet for Good program in the second quarter, resulting in 65,000 cumulative low-income family members now having access to low-cost, high-speed internet.

 

·                  Through our Mobility for Good program, we donated close to 14,000 devices and tablets, many with $0 rate plans — valued at nearly $9 million — to over 325 not-for-profit organizations in the first and second quarters. This enabled at-risk individuals to sustain contact with health practitioners and social workers, while helping hospitalized patients and vulnerable seniors stay connected with family. The $0 rate plans will be supported until December 31, 2020.

 

·                  We expanded our Mobility for Good program across Canada in the second quarter. The program is now available nationally to youth aging out of foster care.

 

·                  We added close to 900 vulnerable youth to our Mobility for Good program, providing them with a free smartphone and data plan. Since program inception, close to 5,300 vulnerable Canadians have benefitted from Mobility for Good.

 

 

16


 

·                  Throughout the second quarter, we continued to mobilize our Health for Good™ clinics to support COVID-19 response efforts, with our mobile clinics operating as testing centres and assessment clinics in Halifax, Vancouver, Ottawa and the Waterloo region, our Mississauga-Brampton region clinic supporting people leaving isolation and recovering from COVID-19, and our Edmonton clinic supporting its emergency isolation and quarantine shelter.

 

·                  In May 2020, our newest mobile health clinic, in partnership with the Fraser Health Authority, commenced operations in Surrey, B.C. to provide childhood immunizations and work through the backlog resulting from immunization clinic closures due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

 

·                  In the second quarter, over 9,600 visits were made to our mobile health clinics, resulting in nearly 36,000 cumulative visits since the inception of our Health for Good program.

 

·                  In the second quarter of 2020, three-packs of TELUS-branded, non-medical masks were made available in adult and youth sizes, with all proceeds going to the TELUS Friendly Future Foundation™ to support COVID-19 relief efforts. As of June 30, 2020, we have sold 2,700 masks, raising over $44,000 for the Foundation.

 

·                  In May 2020, we reached out to rally our TELUS team, retirees and fellow Canadians to join our annual TELUS Days of Giving through safe Acts of Giving to support our local communities. Collectively, we contributed over 200,000 Acts of Giving in quarter, including 450,000 volunteer hours served and 131,000 masks sewn.

 

·                  Since the start of the pandemic through to June 30, 2020, the TELUS Friendly Future Foundation has contributed $5.5 million to 326 charitable health projects.

 

·                  We continued to offer free TELUS Wise® online workshops for youth and, in June 2020, we held five virtual workshops hosted by our Canadian Football League and Hockey Canada partners, reinforcing the importance of staying safe online. Over 43,000 Canadians participated in online TELUS Wise workshops during the second quarter of 2020, with over 68,000 engaging year to date.

 

·                  Through a partnership with Alberta’s science centres (TELUS Spark in Calgary and TELUS World of Science — Edmonton) and Microsoft, we have collaborated to bring science camps online with the launch of Virtual Summer Camps powered by TELUS.

 

·                  We ranked #20 on the Corporate Knights Top 50 Corporate Citizens in Canada list for 2020, up from #38 in 2019.

 

Leveraging our broadband networks to drive TELUS’ growth and fuel our future

 

·                  As described in Section 1.3, we launched the first wave of our 5G network.

 

·                  In June 2020, we launched TELUS PureFibre 1.5 Gigabit Internet with up to 1,500 Mbps download and 940 Mbps upload speeds for homes and businesses in B.C. and Alberta.

 

·                  In the J.D. Power 2020 Canada Wireless Network Quality Study, TELUS ranked first in network quality in the East region and in Ontario.

 

·                  In the Opensignal report The State of Mobile Network Experience 2020: One Year into the 5G Era released in May 2020, Canada tied with South Korea for the fastest Download Speed Experience in the world and Canada continues to have the fastest Download Speed Experience among the G7 countries. This builds upon Opensignal’s Mobile Network Experience Canada February 2020 where we won the category for best Download Speed Experience in Canada among national operators. Additionally, in Opensignal’s State of Rural Canada’s Mobile Network Experience report dated May 2020, we were recognized as having the fastest network in rural Canada. If Canada’s rural networks were categorized as a stand-alone country, rural Canada would rank second only to Japan among the G7 countries, which is notable given Canada’s vast geography and population dispersion.

 

·                  In the PCMag report The Fastest ISPs of 2020: Canada released in June 2020, we were ranked as the fastest internet service provider (ISP) in Canada among major ISPs.

 

·                  In the report Canada: State of Mobile Networks April 2020 published by Tutela, based on data from September 1, 2019 to February 29, 2020, we won three of the national awards for Core Consistent Quality, Download Throughput and Latency, and tied for Excellent Consistent Quality. Additionally, in Tutela’s report Canada: Mobile Experience Report June 2020, based on data from March 1, 2020 to May 31, 2020, our wireless network was rated as best in consistent quality, lowest latency and fastest download speeds.

 

·                  Building upon our November 2019 announcement where we provided several communities in Quebec’s Lower North Shore region with access to high-speed internet and wireless phone services for the first time, we continued this deployment in June 2020 to the communities of Kegaska and La Romaine.

 

·                  During the quarter, we made an announcement regarding the connection of homes and businesses to our TELUS PureFibre infrastructure to the Village of Keremeos, B.C., which is expected to be completed by the end of September 2020.

 

·                  We have enhanced and automated our processes to better support the hiring and remote onboarding for new team members including recent graduates and co-op students.

 

Driving emerging opportunities to build scale in TELUS Health and TELUS Agriculture

 

·                  During the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, both our Akira by TELUS Health and our Babylon by TELUS Health virtual care offerings have benefitted from significant adoption, which has helped to alleviate pressure on the in-person healthcare system. Video consultations from the safety of one’s own home decreases unnecessary visits to the emergency room, freeing up capacity to respond to the viral outbreak. By July 2020, Babylon by TELUS Health has provided 67% of Canadians with the opportunity to see a general practitioner virtually with availability in B.C., Alberta, Saskatchewan and Ontario.

 

 

17


 

·                  Our LivingWell Companion and DirectAlert by TELUS Health personal emergency response services (PERS) continue to support the health and well-being of seniors across Canada. COVID-19 continues to disproportionately impact the elderly — PERS can help seniors stay connected to emergency support and offers a remote caregiving solution to those who may feel the burden of being unable to physically support their elderly loved ones as we continue in a pandemic environment.

 

·                  Through the pandemic, the TELUS Healthy Living Network® has been providing Optik TV customers with informative content related to COVID-19 prevention and well-being, and helping them to stay active at home with new content from partners such as YYOGA.

 

·                  In April 2020, TELUS Health announced it was enabling 26,000 Canadian clinicians to conduct virtual visits with their patients by integrating patient videoconferencing into its electronic medical records across Canada. This new feature allows clinicians to virtually support their own roster of patients while maintaining continuity of care and fully up-to-date health records.

 

·                  In June 2020, TELUS Health announced the expansion of our Home Health Monitoring solution to digitally monitor the recovery of lung transplant patients across Saskatchewan. Launched in partnership with the Saskatchewan Health Authority and eHealth Saskatchewan, this digital health dashboard enables a virtual healthcare team to provide medical support remotely for patients in real-time as they recover in their own homes.

 

·                  We are building scale in TELUS Agriculture through additional business acquisitions and expanding our reach in the emerging agriculture technology sector by leveraging technology to help produce food more efficiently, safely and in a more environmentally-friendly manner.

 

Driving growth in TELUS International to fuel further scaling opportunities

 

·                  While rapidly enabling over 90% of TELUS International team members to provide remote support from home and in other modified work locations, TELUS International has been able to leverage this capability and apply it in new ways to their clients. For example, in the second quarter, TELUS International trained and equipped a team to support a new client through 100% virtual training and remote servicing, foregoing the traditional in-person training at a brick and mortar facility.

 

4.              Capabilities

 

The forward-looking statements in this section, including statements regarding our dividend growth program and our financial objectives in Section 4.3, are qualified by the Caution regarding forward-looking statements at the beginning of this MD&A.

 

4.1 Principal markets addressed and competition

 

For a discussion of our principal markets and an overview of competition, refer to Section 4.1 of our 2019 annual MD&A.

 

4.2 Operational resources

 

Wireless

 

Since mid-2013, we have invested more than $4.9 billion to acquire wireless spectrum licences in spectrum auctions and other private transactions. This has more than doubled our national spectrum holdings in support of our top corporate priority to put customers first. Wireless data consumption has been increasing rapidly and is expected to continue growing as the industry transitions to 5G, and we have responded by investing to extend our coverage and expand the capacity of our leading network quality to support the additional data consumption and growth in our wireless subscriber base in a geographically diverse country. This includes investments in wireless small cells connected directly to our fibre technology to improve coverage and capacity utilized in our 5G network launch.

 

As at June 30, 2020, our 4G LTE technology covered 99% of Canada’s population, consistent with June 30, 2019. Furthermore, we have continued to invest in the roll-out of our LTE advanced technology, which covered almost 95% of Canada’s population at March 31, 2020, slightly higher than one year before.

 

Wireline

 

We are continuing to invest in our incumbent local exchange carrier (ILEC) urban and rural communities with commitments to deliver broadband technology capabilities to as many Canadians in these communities as possible. We are expanding our fibre footprint by connecting more homes and businesses directly to fibre in communities across B.C., Alberta and Eastern Quebec. In addition, we have increased broadband internet speeds, expanded our IP TV video-on-demand library and high-definition content, including 4K TV and 4K HDR capabilities, and enhanced the marketing of data products and bundles resulting in improved churn rates. Our fibre technology is also an essential component of our wireless access technology and has enabled our 5G deployment as referenced above. Our home and business smart technology lines of business integrate security and safety monitoring with smart devices.

 

As at June 30, 2020, our high-speed broadband footprint covered more than 3.2 million households and businesses in B.C., Alberta and Eastern Quebec, including approximately 2.33 million households and businesses covered with

 

 

18


 

fibre-optic cable (representing approximately 73% of our total high-speed broadband footprint), which provides these premises with immediate access to our fibre-optic technology. This is up from approximately 2.04 million households and businesses in the second quarter of 2019.

 

4.3 Liquidity and capital resources

 

Capital structure financial policies

 

Our objective when managing capital is to maintain a flexible capital structure that optimizes the cost and availability of capital at acceptable risk.

 

In the management of capital and in its definition, we include Common Share equity (excluding Accumulated other comprehensive income), Long-term debt (including long-term credit facilities, commercial paper backstopped by long-term credit facilities and any hedging assets or liabilities associated with Long-term debt items, net of amounts recognized in Accumulated other comprehensive income), Cash and temporary investments, and short-term borrowings arising from securitized trade receivables.

 

We manage our capital structure and make adjustments to it in light of changes in economic conditions and the risk characteristics of our business. In order to maintain or adjust our capital structure, we may adjust the amount of dividends paid to holders of Common Shares, purchase Common Shares for cancellation pursuant to normal course issuer bid (NCIB) programs, issue new shares, issue new debt, issue new debt to replace existing debt with different characteristics, and/or increase or decrease the amount of trade receivables sold to an arm’s-length securitization trust.

 

We monitor capital utilizing a number of measures, including our net debt to EBITDA — excluding restructuring and other costs ratio, coverage ratios and dividend payout ratios. (See definitions in Section 11.1 Non-GAAP and other financial measures.)

 

Financing and capital structure management plans

 

Report on financing and capital structure management plans

 

Pay dividends to the holders of Common Shares under our multi-year dividend growth program

 

·                  In May 2019, we announced our intention to target ongoing semi-annual dividend increases, with the annual increase in the range of 7 to 10% from 2020 through to the end of 2022, thereby extending the policy first announced in May 2011. However, given the uncertain magnitude, duration and potential outcomes of the COVID-19 pandemic, in May 2020, the Board determined that it would be prudent to sustain the current dividend per share and defer any dividend increase until the release of our third quarter 2020 results in November. Dividend decisions will continue to be subject to our Board’s assessment and the determination of our financial position and outlook on a quarterly basis. Our long-term dividend payout ratio guideline is 60 to 75% of free cash flow on a prospective basis. (See Section 7.5 Liquidity and capital resource measures.) There can be no assurance that we will maintain a dividend growth program or that it will be unchanged through 2022. (See Caution regarding forward-looking statements — Ability to sustain our dividend growth program through 2022 and Section 10.13 Financing, debt and dividends in our 2019 annual MD&A.)

 

·                  On July 30, 2020, the Board elected to declare a third quarter dividend of $0.29125 per share, payable on October 1, 2020, to shareholders of record at the close of business on September 10, 2020. The third quarter dividend for 2020 reflects a cumulative increase of $0.01 per share or 3.6% from the $0.28125 per share dividend declared one year earlier.

 

·                  Our dividend reinvestment and share purchase (DRISP) plan trustee acquired shares from Treasury for the DRISP plan, rather than acquiring Common Shares in the stock market. We may, at our discretion, offer Common Shares at a discount of up to 5% from the market price under the plan. Effective with the dividends paid beginning on October 1, 2019, we offered Common Shares from Treasury at a discount of 2%. During the second quarter of 2020, our DRISP plan trustee acquired from Treasury approximately 6 million dividend reinvestment Common Shares for $131 million. For the dividends paid on July 2, 2020, the DRISP participation rate, calculated as the DRISP investment of $140 million (including the employee share purchase plan) as a percentage of gross dividends, was approximately 37%.

 

Purchase Common Shares

 

·                  During the three-month and six-month periods ended June 30, 2020, and up to the date of this MD&A, we did not purchase or cancel any shares pursuant to our NCIB.

 

Use proceeds from securitized trade receivables (Short-term borrowings), bank facilities and commercial paper as needed, to supplement free cash flow and meet other cash requirements

 

·                  Our issued and outstanding commercial paper was $NIL at June 30, 2020, which was denominated in U.S. dollars (US$NIL million), compared to $1,015 million (US$781 million) at December 31, 2019, and $293 million (US$224 million) at June 30, 2019.

 

·                  Net draws due to a syndicate of financial institutions (excluding TELUS Corporation) on the TELUS International (Cda) Inc. credit facility were US$865 million at June 30, 2020, compared to US$336 million at December 31, 2019, and US$307 million at June 30, 2019. The credit facility is non-recourse to TELUS Corporation.

 

·                  Proceeds from securitized trade receivables were $100 million at June 30, 2020, unchanged from December 31, 2019 and June 30, 2019.

 

 

19


 

Report on financing and capital structure management plans

 

Maintain compliance with financial objectives

 

·                  Maintain investment grade credit ratings in the range of BBB+ or the equivalent — On July 31, 2020, investment grade credit ratings from the four rating agencies that cover TELUS were in the desired range. (See Section 7.8 Credit ratings.)

 

·                  Net debt to EBITDA — excluding restructuring and other costs ratio of 2.20 to 2.70 times — As measured at June 30, 2020, this ratio was 3.06 times, outside of the objective range, primarily due to the reduction of EBITDA caused by the COVID-19 pandemic as well as the acquisition of spectrum licences and business acquisitions. Given the cash demands of the 2019 and upcoming spectrum auctions and the inability to quantify impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, the assessment of the guideline and return to the objective range remains to be determined; however, it is our intent to return to a ratio below 2.70 times in the medium term (following upcoming spectrum auctions), consistent with our long-term strategy. (See Section 7.5 Liquidity and capital resource measures.)

 

·                  Dividend payout ratio of 60 to 75% of free cash flow on a prospective basis — Our objective range is on a prospective basis. The dividend payout ratio we present in this MD&A is a historical measure utilizing the last four quarters of dividends declared, net of dividend reinvestment plan effects, and free cash flow, and is disclosed for illustrative purposes in evaluating our target guideline. As at June 30, 2020, the ratio was 61%. During the 12-month period ended June 30, 2020, the historical measure of our dividend payout ratio was at the lower end of the range due to the discounted DRISP participation level. (See Section 7.5 Liquidity and capital resource measures.)

 

·                  Generally maintain a minimum of $1 billion in unutilized liquidity — As at June 30, 2020, our unutilized liquidity on a consolidated basis was approximately $2.9 billion. (See Section 7.6 Credit facilities.)

 

4.4 Changes in internal control over financial reporting

 

For the three-month and six-month periods ended June 30, 2020, there were no changes in internal control over financial reporting that have materially affected, or are reasonably likely to materially affect, our internal control over financial reporting.

 

5.              Discussion of operations

 

This section contains forward-looking statements, including those with respect to mobile phone average billing per subscriber per month (ABPU) and mobile phone average revenue per subscriber per month (ARPU) growth, wireless trends regarding loading and retention spending, equipment margins, subscriber growth and various future trends. There can be no assurance that we have accurately identified these trends based on past results or that these trends will continue, in particular given uncertainty with regard to the COVID-19 pandemic and associated economic impacts. See Caution regarding forward-looking statements at the beginning of this MD&A.

 

5.1 General

 

A significant judgment we make is in respect of distinguishing between our wireless and wireline operations and cash flows (and this extends to allocations of both direct and indirect expenses and capital expenditures). The clarity of this distinction has been increasingly affected by the convergence and integration of our wireless and wireline telecommunications infrastructure technology and operations. Recently, our judgment was that our wireless and wireline telecommunications infrastructure technology and operations had not experienced sufficient convergence to objectively make their respective operations and cash flows practically indistinguishable. The continued build-out of our technology-agnostic fibre-optic infrastructure, in combination with converged edge network technology, has significantly affected this judgment, as have the commercialization of fixed-wireless telecommunications solutions for customers and the consolidation of our non-customer facing operations. As a result, it has become increasingly difficult and impractical to objectively and clearly distinguish between our wireless and wireline operations and cash flows, and the assets from which those cash flows arise. Our judgment as to whether these operations can continue to be judged to be individual components of the business and discrete operating segments has changed. Effective January 1, 2020, we embarked upon modifying our internal and external reporting processes, systems and internal controls to accommodate the technology convergence-driven cessation of the historical distinction between our wireless and wireline operations at the level of regularly reported discrete performance measures that are provided to our Chief Executive Officer (CEO) (our chief operating decision-maker). Prior to the World Health Organization characterizing COVID-19 as a pandemic, we had anticipated transitioning to a new segment reporting structure during 2020 but did not, and do not, anticipate a substantive change to our products and services revenue and related performance indicator reporting from such transition; we will continue to report wireless and wireline operations until such transition is substantially completed, but the timing of such transition may be impacted as we prioritize managing through the pandemic. Segmented information in Note 5 of the interim consolidated financial statements is regularly reported to our CEO.

 

 

20


 

5.2 Summary of consolidated quarterly results and trends

 

Summary of quarterly results

 

($ millions, except per share amounts)

 

2020 Q2

 

2020 Q1

 

2019 Q4

 

2019 Q3

 

2019 Q2

 

2019 Q1

 

2018 Q4

 

2018 Q3

 

Operating revenues1

 

3,728

 

3,694

 

3,858

 

3,697

 

3,597

 

3,506

 

3,764

 

3,774

 

Operating expenses

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Goods and services purchased2,3

 

1,458

 

1,412

 

1,681

 

1,502

 

1,466

 

1,421

 

1,784

 

1,685

 

Employee benefits expense2

 

911

 

873

 

809

 

761

 

758

 

706

 

745

 

740

 

Depreciation and amortization

 

725

 

725

 

678

 

649

 

633

 

617

 

586

 

572

 

Total operating expenses

 

3,094

 

3,010

 

3,168

 

2,912

 

2,857

 

2,744

 

3,115

 

2,997

 

Operating income

 

634

 

684

 

690

 

785

 

740

 

762

 

649

 

777

 

Financing costs before long-term debt prepayment premium

 

184

 

192

 

175

 

173

 

189

 

168

 

159

 

162

 

Long-term debt prepayment premium

 

18

 

 

 

28

 

 

 

 

34

 

Income before income taxes

 

432

 

492

 

515

 

584

 

551

 

594

 

490

 

581

 

Income taxes

 

117

 

139

 

136

 

144

 

31

 

157

 

122

 

134

 

Net income

 

315

 

353

 

379

 

440

 

520

 

437

 

368

 

447

 

Net income attributable to Common Shares

 

290

 

350

 

368

 

433

 

517

 

428

 

357

 

443

 

Net income per Common Share:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Basic earnings per share (EPS)

 

0.23

 

0.28

 

0.30

 

0.36

 

0.43

 

0.36

 

0.30

 

0.37

 

Adjusted basic EPS4

 

0.25

 

0.32

 

0.32

 

0.39

 

0.35

 

0.38

 

0.35

 

0.37

 

Diluted EPS

 

0.23

 

0.28

 

0.30

 

0.36

 

0.43

 

0.36

 

0.30

 

0.37

 

Dividends declared per Common Share

 

0.29125

 

0.29125

 

0.29125

 

0.28125

 

0.28125

 

0.27250

 

0.27250

 

0.26250

 

Additional information:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

EBITDA4

 

1,359

 

1,409

 

1,368

 

1,434

 

1,373

 

1,379

 

1,235

 

1,349

 

Restructuring and other costs3,4

 

70

 

60

 

40

 

29

 

29

 

36

 

75

 

173

 

Lease-up period and other equity losses related to real estate joint ventures

 

3

 

6

 

5

 

 

 

 

 

 

Non-recurring gains and equity income related to real estate joint ventures

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

171

 

Retirement of a provision arising from business acquisition-related written put options within TI

 

71

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Adjusted EBITDA4

 

1,361

 

1,475

 

1,413

 

1,463

 

1,402

 

1,415

 

1,310

 

1,351

 

Cash provided by operating activities

 

1,462

 

1,177

 

829

 

1,148

 

1,160

 

790

 

948

 

1,066

 

Free cash flow4

 

511

 

545

 

135

 

320

 

324

 

153

 

132

 

303

 

 

 

 


(1)         In the third quarter of 2018, we recorded equity income related to real estate joint ventures of $171 million arising from the sale of TELUS Garden.

(2)         Goods and services purchased and Employee benefits expense amounts include restructuring and other costs.

(3)         In the third quarter of 2018, we recorded a donation to the TELUS Friendly Future Foundation of $118 million as part of other costs.

(4)         See Section 11.1 Non-GAAP and other financial measures.

 

Trends

 

COVID-19 was characterized as a pandemic in March 2020. The nature of the pandemic and the uncertainty of its magnitude, length and the time to recovery are not currently able to be estimated. Therefore, trends identified prior to the first quarter of 2020 and described below may not be indicative of trends effective from the first quarter of 2020 onwards, as the COVID-19 pandemic prevents us and our customers from operating in the normal course of business in certain areas.

 

The trend of year-over-year increases in consolidated revenue reflects: (i) wireless network revenue generated from growth in our subscriber base, partially reduced by COVID-19 pandemic impacts such as reduced roaming revenue; (ii) growth in wireline service revenue — this segment includes TELUS International (Cda) Inc. (TI) revenues, internet and third wave data services revenues, health revenues, TV revenues, home and business smart technology (including security) revenues, and other advanced application offerings; partly offset by moderating equipment revenue growth as well as COVID-19 pandemic impacts such as the temporary closure of Medisys and Copeman health clinics and the clinics being unable to offer their full suite of core services upon re-opening, and business customers faced with reduced and/or closed operations. Increased wireline data services revenues also include revenues from business acquisitions, including our acquisitions of ADT Security Services Canada, Inc. (ADT Canada) on November 5, 2019 (where there was

 

 

21


 

significant integration and customer retention costs in 2019 and will continue to be throughout 2020 and early 2021, the full expected operations rate is expected after that time), and Competence Call Center (CCC) on January 31, 2020. Increased internet and TV service revenues are being generated by subscriber growth and higher internet revenue per customer, and there has been increased customer adoption of our home and business smart technology (including security). For additional information on wireless and wireline revenue and subscriber trends, see Section 5.4 Wireless segment and Section 5.5 Wireline segment.

 

The trend of year-over-year increases in Goods and services purchased, excepting the effects of the application of IFRS 16 first evidenced in the first quarter of 2019, reflects higher wireless equipment expenses associated with higher-value smartphones in the sales mix, partly offset by a general decrease in new wireless contracts; increases in external labour, administrative and other expenses to support growth in our TI business, our subscriber base and business acquisitions; and increased wireline TV costs of sales associated with a growing subscriber base.

 

In the third quarter of 2018, Operating revenues included equity income related to real estate joint ventures of $171 million arising from the sale of TELUS Garden. Additionally, in the third quarter of 2018, Goods and services purchased included a non-recurring $118 million donation to the TELUS Friendly Future Foundation. There have also been, and will continue to be, less significant asset dispositions.

 

The trend of year-over-year increases in net Employee benefits expense reflects increases in the number of employees related to business acquisitions and those supporting TI revenue growth, the expansion of our health offerings and growth in our other complementary businesses. This was partly offset by moderating salaries expense resulting from reductions in the number of full-time equivalent (FTE) domestic employees, excluding business acquisitions, related to cost efficiency and effectiveness programs. We experienced year-over-year increases in net Employee benefits expense in the first quarter of 2020 and through most of 2019 related to April 2019 compensation increases.

 

The trend of year-over-year increases in Depreciation and amortization reflects increases due to growth in capital assets, which is supporting the expansion of our broadband footprint, including our generational investment to connect homes and businesses to TELUS PureFibre and enhanced LTE technology coverage, growth in business acquisitions and growth in internet, TV and security loading. The investments in our fibre-optic technology also support our small-cell technology strategy to improve coverage and capacity while preparing for a more efficient and timely evolution to 5G where we launched the first wave of our 5G network in June 2020. Depreciation and amortization under the application of IFRS 16 are higher than would have been the case prior to IFRS 16.

 

The trend of year-over-year increases in Financing costs reflects an increase in long-term debt outstanding, mainly associated with our investments in spectrum, fibre and wireless technology, and our business acquisitions. Financing costs include a long-term debt prepayment premium of $18 million in the second quarter of 2020, $28 million in the third quarter of 2019 and $34 million in the third quarter of 2018. Moreover, Financing costs are net of capitalized interest related to spectrum licences acquired during the 600 MHz wireless spectrum auction, which we expect to deploy into our existing network in future periods. Financing costs also includes Interest accretion on provisions (asset retirement obligations and written put options) and Employee defined benefit plans net interest. Additionally, for the eight periods shown, Financing costs include varying amounts of foreign exchange gains or losses and varying amounts of interest income. Under the application of IFRS 16, Financing costs are higher than would have been the case prior to IFRS 16, driven by interest on lease liabilities.

 

The trend in Net income reflects the items noted above, as well as non-cash adjustments arising from substantively enacted income tax changes and adjustments recognized in the current periods for income taxes of prior periods. Historically, the trend in basic EPS has reflected trends in Net income.

 

The general trend of year-over-year increases in Cash provided by operating activities reflects lower year-over-year income taxes paid partly offset by higher interest payments arising from increases in debt outstanding and year-over-year variations in fixed-term interest rates. Cash provided by operating activities was impacted by IFRS 16, which prospectively results in the principal component of lease payments being reflected as a financing activity use of cash. The general trend of year-over-year increases in free cash flow reflects the factors affecting Cash provided by operating activities, except that accounting policies that do not impact cash (IFRS 15 and IFRS 16) do not affect the determination of free cash flow. For further discussion on these trends, see Section 5.4 Wireless segment and Section 5.5 Wireline segment.

 

 

22


 

5.3 Consolidated operations

 

The following is a discussion of our consolidated financial performance. Segment information in Note 5 of the interim consolidated financial statements is regularly reported to our CEO. We discuss the performance of our segments in Section 5.4 Wireless segment and Section 5.5 Wireline segment. Refer to Section 1.2 for further discussion of the COVID-19 pandemic and its impacts on our consolidated operations.

 

Operating revenues

 

 

 

Second quarters ended June 30

 

Six-month periods ended June 30

 

($ in millions)

 

2020

 

2019

 

Change

 

2020

 

2019

 

Change

 

Service

 

3,250

 

3,086

 

5.3

%

6,495

 

6,106

 

6.4

%

Equipment

 

406

 

501

 

(19.0

)%

824

 

970

 

(15.1

)%

Revenues arising from contracts with customers

 

3,656

 

3,587

 

1.9

%

7,319

 

7,076

 

3.4

%

Other operating income

 

72

 

10

 

n/m

 

103

 

27

 

n/m

 

Operating revenues

 

3,728

 

3,597

 

3.6

%

7,422

 

7,103

 

4.5

%

 

Consolidated operating revenues increased by $131 million in the second quarter of 2020 and $319 million in the first six months of 2020.

 

·                  Service revenues increased by $164 million in the second quarter of 2020 and $389 million in the first six months of 2020, reflecting growth in wireline data services revenues resulting from business acquisitions, expanded services and subscriber base growth, partly offset by the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic and continued declines in wireline legacy voice and legacy data service revenues.

 

·                  Equipment revenues decreased by $95 million in the second quarter of 2020 and $146 million in the first six months of 2020, reflecting lower wireless contracted volumes as a result of customers reducing their general shopping habits and the temporary closure of a significant number of conventional sales channels beginning in March 2020 through a majority of the second quarter of 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Device financing programs, which provide transparency of full device costs resulting in customers deferring device upgrade purchases, also contributed to the decrease.

 

·                  Other operating income increased by $62 million in the second quarter of 2020 and $76 million in the first six months of 2020, primarily due to a gain on retirement of a provision arising from business acquisition-related written put options within TI, partly offset by lease-up period and other equity losses related to real estate joint ventures and lower net gains from the sale of certain assets. The increase in the first six months of 2020 also reflects a decrease in the aforementioned provision.

 

Operating expenses

 

 

 

Second quarters ended June 30

 

Six-month periods ended June 30

 

($ in millions)

 

2020

 

2019

 

Change

 

2020

 

2019

 

Change

 

Goods and services purchased

 

1,458

 

1,466

 

(0.5

)%

2,870

 

2,887

 

(0.6

)%

Employee benefits expense

 

911

 

758

 

20.2

%

1,784

 

1,464

 

21.9

%

Depreciation

 

505

 

470

 

7.4

%

1,028

 

940

 

9.4

%

Amortization of intangible assets

 

220

 

163

 

35.0

%

422

 

310

 

36.1

%

Operating expenses

 

3,094

 

2,857

 

8.3

%

6,104

 

5,601

 

9.0

%

 

Consolidated operating expenses increased by $237 million in the second quarter of 2020 and $503 million in the first six months of 2020.

 

·                  Goods and services purchased decreased by $8 million in the second quarter of 2020 and $17 million in the first six months of 2020, primarily arising from lower wireless equipment sales expenses, as well as enhanced cost-savings initiatives in response to the economic impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. These decreases were partly offset by higher operating and administrative costs associated with business acquisitions, in addition to supporting organic TI revenue growth, as well as increases to our bad debt expense and non-labour restructuring and other costs related to the pandemic.

 

·                  Employee benefits expense increased by $153 million in the second quarter of 2020 and $320 million in the first six months of 2020, largely due to higher compensation and benefit costs resulting from an increase in the number of employees from business acquisitions, in addition to supporting organic TI revenue growth. These employee benefits expense increases were partly offset by lower labour-related restructuring and other costs, and a decrease in the number of domestic FTEs, excluding business acquisitions.

 

 

23


 

·                  Depreciation increased by $35 million in the second quarter of 2020 and $88 million in the first six months of 2020, primarily due to growth in capital assets over the last 12 months, including our expanded fibre footprint and business acquisitions. Additionally, in the first six months of 2020, we had increased asset retirement activity, which generated accelerated depreciation on those assets.

 

·                  Amortization of intangible assets increased by $57 million in the second quarter of 2020 and $112 million in the first six months of 2020, reflecting higher expenditures associated with the intangible asset base over the last 12 months, including those arising from business acquisitions.

 

Operating income

 

 

 

Second quarters ended June 30

 

Six-month periods ended June 30

 

($ in millions)

 

2020

 

2019

 

Change

 

2020

 

2019

 

Change

 

Wireless EBITDA1 (See Section 5.4)

 

870

 

919

 

(5.3

)%

1,804

 

1,827

 

(1.2

)%

Wireline EBITDA1 (See Section 5.5)

 

489

 

454

 

7.7

%

964

 

925

 

4.2

%

EBITDA1

 

1,359

 

1,373

 

(1.0

)%

2,768

 

2,752

 

0.6

%

Depreciation and amortization (discussed above)

 

(725

)

(633

)

14.5

%

(1,450

)

(1,250

)

16.0

%

Operating income

 

634

 

740

 

(14.3

)%

1,318

 

1,502

 

(12.3

)%

 


(1)         See Section 11.1 Non-GAAP and other financial measures.

 

Operating income decreased by $106 million in the second quarter of 2020 and $184 million in the first six months of 2020, while EBITDA decreased by $14 million in the second quarter of 2020 and increased by $16 million in the first six months of 2020. Excluding the effects of a gain on a retirement of a provision arising from business acquisition-related written put options of $71 million within TI, Operating income decreased by $177 million in the second quarter of 2020 and $255 million in the first six months of 2020, while EBITDA decreased by $85 million in the second quarter of 2020 and $55 million in the first six months of 2020. These declines reflect the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, including: (i) the decline in roaming revenues attributed to restricted travel; (ii) the temporary closure of approximately 90% of our conventional retail stores; (iii) the temporary disruptions to our TI business due to government-mandated site closures; (iv) the temporary closure of our Medisys and Copeman clinics, and reduced health benefit claims; (v) increases to our bad debt expense; and (vi) higher non-labour-related restructuring and other costs. EBITDA also declined from lower wireline legacy voice and legacy data services, higher non-labour-related restructuring and other costs related to efficiency initiatives, and lease-up period and other equity losses related to real estate joint ventures. EBITDA declines were partly offset by growth in wireline data service margins resulting from business acquisitions, expanded services and subscriber base growth, an increased EBITDA contribution from our organic TI business, and enhanced cost efficiency programs in response to the pandemic. Declines in the first six months of 2020 were also moderated by a decrease in a provision arising from business acquisition-related written put options within TI.

 

Adjusted EBITDA

 

 

 

Second quarters ended June 30

 

Six-month periods ended June 30

 

($ in millions)

 

2020

 

2019

 

Change

 

2020

 

2019

 

Change

 

Wireless Adjusted EBITDA1 (See Section 5.4)

 

890

 

924

 

(3.7

)%

1,830

 

1,841

 

(0.6

)%

Wireline Adjusted EBITDA1 (See Section 5.5)

 

471

 

478

 

(1.2

)%

1,006

 

976

 

3.1

%

Adjusted EBITDA1

 

1,361

 

1,402

 

(2.9

)%

2,836

 

2,817

 

0.7

%

 


(1)         See Section 11.1 Non-GAAP and other financial measures.

 

Adjusted EBITDA decreased by $41 million or 2.9% in the second quarter of 2020, reflecting the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic as described above, and lower wireline legacy voice and legacy data services. This was partly offset by growth in wireline data service margins resulting from business acquisitions, expanded services and subscriber base growth, an increased EBITDA contribution from our organic TI business, and enhanced cost efficiency programs in response to the pandemic.

 

In the first six months of 2020, Adjusted EBITDA increased by $19 million or 0.7%, which reflects growth in wireline data service margins resulting from business acquisitions, expanded services and subscriber base growth and an increased EBITDA contribution from our organic TI business, and a decrease in a provision arising from business acquisition-related written put options within TI. Adjusted EBITDA growth was partly offset by the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic as described above and from lower wireline legacy voice and legacy data services.

 

 

24


 

Financing costs

 

 

 

Second quarters ended June 30

 

Six-month periods ended June 30

 

($ in millions)

 

2020

 

2019

 

Change

 

2020

 

2019

 

Change

 

Interest on long-term debt, excluding lease liabilities — gross

 

169

 

161

 

5.0

%

339

 

311

 

9.0

%

Interest on long-term debt interest, excluding lease liabilities — capitalized

 

(9

)

(4

)

125.0

%

(17

)

(4

)

n/m

 

Interest on lease liabilities

 

17

 

16

 

6.3

%

35

 

32

 

9.4

%

Interest on short-term borrowings and other

 

2

 

3

 

(33.3

)%

4

 

8

 

(50.0

)%

Interest accretion on provisions

 

4

 

5

 

(20.0

)%

9

 

11

 

(18.2

)%

Long-term debt prepayment premium

 

18

 

 

n/m

 

18

 

 

n/m

 

Interest expense

 

201

 

181

 

11.0

%

388

 

358

 

8.4

%

Employee defined benefit plans net interest

 

4

 

 

n/m

 

8

 

 

n/m

 

Foreign exchange (gains) losses

 

(1

)

11

 

n/m

 

1

 

4

 

(75.0

)%

Interest income

 

(2

)

(3

)

(33.3

)%

(3

)

(5

)

(40.0

)%

Financing costs

 

202

 

189

 

6.9

%

394

 

357

 

10.4

%

 

Financing costs increased by $13 million in the second quarter of 2020 and $37 million in the first six months of 2020, mainly due to the following factors:

 

·                  Interest expense increased by $20 million in the second quarter of 2020 and $30 million in the first six months of 2020. The increased interest expense largely resulted from:

 

·                  Gross interest on long-term debt, excluding lease liabilities, increased by $8 million in the second quarter of 2020 and $28 million in the first six months of 2020, driven by an increase in average long-term debt balances outstanding in part attributable to the acquisition of spectrum licences and business acquisitions (including ADT Canada and CCC), partially offset by a decrease in the effective interest rate. Our weighted average interest rate on long-term debt (excluding commercial paper, the revolving component of the TI credit facility, lease liabilities and other long-term debt) was 3.86% at June 30, 2020, as compared to 4.12% one year earlier. (See Long-term debt issues and repayments in Section 7.4.)

 

·                  Capitalized long-term debt interest is in respect of debt incurred for the purchase of spectrum licences during the 600 MHz wireless spectrum auction held in April 2019 by Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada (ISED), which we expect to deploy in our existing network in future periods. Capitalization of long-term debt interest will continue until substantially all of the activities necessary to prepare the spectrum for its intended use are complete.

 

·                  We recorded a long-term debt prepayment premium of $18 million before income taxes related to the early redemption of all of our $400 million Series CM Notes and all of our $500 million Series CO Notes as described in Section 1.3.

 

·                  Employee defined benefit plans net interest increased by $4 million in the second quarter of 2020 and $8 million in the first six months of 2020, primarily due to the change in the defined benefit plan deficit as at December 31, 2019 to $425 million (net of the plan asset ceiling limit of $121 million), compared to a defined benefit plan surplus of $57 million (net of the plan asset ceiling limit of $263 million) one year earlier, partly offset by a decrease in the discount rate.

 

·                  Foreign exchange (gains) losses have fluctuated, primarily reflecting changes in the value of the Canadian dollar relative to the U.S. dollar.

 

 

25


 

Income taxes

 

 

 

Second quarters ended June 30

 

Six-month periods ended June 30

 

($ in millions, except tax rates)

 

2020

 

2019

 

Change

 

2020

 

2019

 

Change

 

Income taxes computed at applicable statutory rates (%)

 

26.2

 

26.7

 

(0.5

)pts.

26.3

 

26.9

 

(0.6

)pts.

Revaluation of deferred income tax liability to reflect future income tax rates (%)

 

(0.5

)

(22.0

)

21.5

pts.

(0.5

)

(10.6

)

10.1

pts.

Adjustments recognized in the current period for income taxes of prior periods (%)

 

0.9

 

(0.3

)

1.2

pts.

0.4

 

(0.2

)

0.6

pts.

Other (%)

 

0.5

 

1.2

 

(0.7

)pts.

1.5

 

0.3

 

1.2

pts.

Effective tax rate (%)

 

27.1

 

5.6

 

21.5

pts.

27.7

 

16.4

 

11.3

pts.

Income tax computed at applicable statutory rates

 

113

 

147

 

(23.1

)%

243

 

308

 

(21.1

)%

Revaluation of deferred income tax liability to reflect future income tax rates

 

(2

)

(121

)

(98.3

)%

(5

)

(121

)

(95.9

)%

Adjustments recognized in the current period for income taxes of prior periods

 

4

 

(2

)

n/m

 

4

 

(2

)

n/m

 

Other

 

2

 

7

 

(71.4

)%

14

 

3

 

n/m

 

Income taxes

 

117

 

31

 

n/m

 

256

 

188

 

36.2

%

 

Total income tax expense increased by $86 million in the second quarter of 2020 and $68 million in the first six months of 2020, while income taxes paid in respect of comprehensive income per the condensed interim consolidated statement of cash flows decreased by $111 million in the second quarter of 2020 and $354 million in the first six months of 2020. The effective tax rate increased from 5.6% to 27.1% in the second quarter of 2020 and from 16.4% to 27.7% in the first six months of 2020, predominantly attributed to the prior year revaluation of the deferred income tax liability for the multi-year reduction in the Alberta provincial corporate tax rate that was substantively enacted in the second quarter of 2019.

 

Comprehensive income

 

 

 

Second quarters ended June 30

 

Six-month periods ended June 30

 

($ in millions)

 

2020

 

2019

 

Change

 

2020

 

2019

 

Change

 

Net income

 

315

 

520

 

(39.4

)%

668

 

957

 

(30.2

)%

Other comprehensive income (net of income taxes):

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Items that may be subsequently reclassified to income

 

(107

)

21

 

n/m

 

167

 

(22

)

n/m

 

Items never subsequently reclassified to income

 

(669

)

8

 

n/m

 

(353

)

32

 

n/m

 

Comprehensive income

 

(461

)

549

 

n/m

 

482

 

967

 

(50.2

)%

 

Comprehensive income decreased by over $1.0 billion in the second quarter of 2020 and $485 million in the first six months of 2020, primarily as a result of changes in employee defined benefit plan re-measurement amounts arising from the effect of a decrease in the discount rate being applied to our accrued projected defined benefit obligation in addition to lower Net income. Items that may subsequently be reclassified to income are composed of changes in the unrealized fair value of derivatives designated as cash flow hedges and foreign currency translation adjustments arising from translating financial statements of foreign operations. Items never subsequently reclassified to income are composed of employee defined benefit plans re-measurement amounts.

 

5.4 Wireless segment

 

Wireless trends and seasonality

 

COVID-19 was characterized as a pandemic in March 2020. The nature of the pandemic and the uncertainty of its magnitude, length and the time to recovery are not currently able to be estimated. Therefore, trends identified prior to the first quarter of 2020 and described below may not be indicative of trends effective from the first quarter of 2020 onwards, as the COVID-19 pandemic prevents us and our customers from operating in the normal course of business in certain areas. For example, with government and border restrictions, consumer and business travel levels are uncertain. As well, our business customers who use our wireless services are faced with reduced and/or closed operations. Refer to Section 1.2 for further discussion of the COVID-19 pandemic and its impacts on our wireless operations.

 

The historical trend over the last eight quarters in wireless network revenue reflects growth in our subscriber base, as well as higher-value smartphones in the sales mix of gross additions and retention units. Equipment revenue growth has been moderating as an increase of higher-value smartphones in the sales mix have been offset by a lower volume of new contracts due to: (i) heightened market aggression; (ii) the improving quality and increasing cost of popular devices that result in customers deferring upgrades; (iii) the industry introduction of device financing programs, which provide transparency of full device costs and result in customers deferring device upgrades; and (iv) most recently, the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on customers, the industry, our supply chain and methods of distribution, and the Canadian

 

 

26


 

economy. The general trend of year-over-year increases in mobile phone subscriber net additions resulted from: (i) the success of our promotions and the leveraging of our digital sales channels; (ii) the effects of market growth arising from a growing population, changing population demographics and an increasing number of customers with multiple devices; (iii) continuous improvements in the speed and quality of our network, combined with our low churn rate, which reflect our focus on customers first initiatives; and (iv) customer behaviour using additional devices while traveling; however, this trend has been altered by the pandemic. Our capital expenditures on network improvements increase capacity and coverage, allowing us to grow revenue through net additions of wireless subscribers.

 

Mobile phone ABPU growth has been moderating, primarily due to: (i) carriers offering larger allotments of data, as well as rate plans that include plans with bonus data and unlimited data plans, data sharing and, prior to the COVID-19 pandemic and the significant impact to travel, international roaming features; and (ii) consumer behavioural response to more frequent customer data usage notifications and offloading of data traffic to increasingly available Wi-Fi hotspots; partly offset by (iii) an increased mix of higher-value rate plans, in addition to an increase in higher-value smartphones in the sales mix, including the effects of customers financing more of the cost of these devices through our TELUS Easy Payment program, which we launched in the third quarter of 2019, and an increased proportion of higher-value customers in the subscriber mix. As a result of changing industry dynamics, customers have been able to gain access to higher network speeds and larger allotments of data included for a given price point, further limiting mobile phone ABPU expansion, as customers are continuing to obtain lower cost per megabyte plans.

 

The trend of our comparatively low mobile phone blended churn rate reflects our customers first efforts, retention programs and focus on building, maintaining and enhancing our high-quality network and more recently, the impact from the COVID-19 pandemic and the resulting effect of less customers switching between carriers.

 

Our connected device subscriber base has been growing primarily through our expanded Internet of Things (IoT) offerings, partly offset by our strategic decision to reduce loading of low or negative-margin tablets.

 

Wireless operating indicators

 

As at June 30

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

2020

 

2019

 

Change

 

Subscribers1 (000s):

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Mobile phones

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

8,754

 

8,552

 

2.4

%

Mobile connected devices

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

1,621

 

1,338

 

21.2

%

Total

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

10,375

 

9,890

 

4.9

%

HSPA+ population coverage2 (millions)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

37.0

 

37.0

 

%

LTE population coverage2 (millions)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

37.0

 

36.9

 

0.3

%

 

 

 

Second quarters ended June 30

 

Six-month periods ended June 30

 

 

 

2020

 

2019

 

Change

 

2020

 

2019

 

Change

 

Mobile phones gross additions (000s):

 

268

 

336

 

(20.2

)%

533

 

605

 

(11.9

)%

Subscriber net additions (000s):

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Mobile phones

 

61

 

82

 

(25.6

)%

82

 

93

 

(11.8

)%

Mobile connected devices

 

33

 

72

 

(54.2

)%

82

 

121

 

(32.2

)%

Total

 

94

 

154

 

(39.0

)%

164

 

214

 

(23.4

)%

Mobile phones ABPU, per month3 ($)

 

69.65

 

73.43

 

(5.1

)%

70.97

 

72.81

 

(2.5

)%

Mobile phones ARPU, per month3 ($)

 

56.82

 

60.30

 

(5.8

)%

57.71

 

59.81

 

(3.5

)%

Mobile phones churn, per month3 (%)

 

0.80

 

1.01

 

(0.21

)pts.

0.87

 

1.01

 

(0.14

)pts.

 


(1)       Effective January 1, 2020 on a prospective basis, as a result of subscribers substantially loaded prior to 2019 and were identified as having limited or no cellular voice capability through an in-depth review of our mobile phone subscriber base, we made an adjustment to transfer approximately 60,000 mobile phone subscribers to our mobile connected devices subscriber base.

(2)       Including network access agreements with other Canadian carriers.

(3)       See Section 11.2 Operating indicators. These are industry measures useful in assessing operating performance of a wireless company, but are not measures defined under IFRS-IASB.

 

 

27


 

Operating revenues — Wireless segment

 

 

 

Second quarters ended June 30

 

Six-month periods ended June 30

 

($ in millions)

 

2020

 

2019

 

Change

 

2020

 

2019

 

Change

 

Network revenue

 

1,472

 

1,523

 

(3.3

)%

2,983

 

3,015

 

(1.1

)%

Equipment and other service revenues

 

360

 

455

 

(20.9

)%

734

 

882

 

(16.8

)%

Revenues arising from contracts with customers

 

1,832

 

1,978

 

(7.4

)%

3,717

 

3,897

 

(4.6

)%

Other operating income

 

(1

)

5

 

n/m

 

(2

)

10

 

n/m

 

External operating revenues

 

1,831

 

1,983

 

(7.7

)%

3,715

 

3,907

 

(4.9

)%

Intersegment revenues

 

15

 

14

 

7.1

%

29

 

27

 

7.4

%

Wireless operating revenues

 

1,846

 

1,997

 

(7.6

)%

3,744

 

3,934

 

(4.8

)%

 

Wireless operating revenues decreased by $151 million in the second quarter of 2020 and $190 million in the first six months of 2020.

 

Network revenue decreased by $51 million or 3.3% in the second quarter of 2020 and $32 million in the first six months of 2020 or 1.1%, due to declining mobile phone ARPU primarily from reduced roaming revenue, as discussed below, partly offset by growth of 4.9% in the subscriber base over the last 12 months.

 

Mobile phone ABPU was $69.65 in the second quarter of 2020 and $70.97 in the first six months of 2020, reflecting decreases of $3.78 or 5.1% for the quarter and $1.84 or 2.5% for the six-month period. These decreases reflect the impacts caused by the COVID-19 pandemic including: (i) significantly reduced roaming revenue from changing customer behaviour related to travel restrictions, as well as our decision to temporarily waive roaming charges for customers in response to the pandemic; (ii) the temporary closure of approximately 90% of our conventional retail stores beginning in March 2020 through a majority of the second quarter which hindered customer opportunities for device upgrades and the upgrade or selection of higher-tier plans; (iii) decreases in chargeable data usage as more people work from home and offload their mobile devices onto Wi-Fi networks; and (iv) our decision to temporarily waive late payment charges, partly offset by: (v) increased chargeable voice usage revenue primarily generated in the early stages of the pandemic prior to the easing of certain related restrictions. Mobile phone ABPU is also impacted by continued declines in chargeable data usage, and the impact of the competitive environment putting pressure on base rate plan prices in the current and prior periods. Mobile phone ABPU declination was partly offset by growth resulting from our combined TELUS Easy Payment device financing, Peace of Mind endless data plans and TELUS Family Discount offerings, which we introduced at the beginning of the third quarter of 2019, with customers selecting plans with endless data or larger data buckets and higher-value smartphones in the sales mix.

 

Mobile phone ARPU was $56.82 in the second quarter of 2020 and $57.71 in the first six months of 2020, reflecting decreases of $3.48 or 5.8% for the quarter and $2.10 or 3.5% for the six-month period. Mobile phone ARPU was impacted by the same items noted above in mobile phone ABPU, with the exception of: (i) our TELUS Easy Payment device financing program; (ii) prior to our TELUS Easy Payment device financing program, devices with subsidies; and (iii) contracted device upgrades.

 

·                  Mobile phone gross additions were 268,000 in the second quarter of 2020 and 533,000 for the first six months of 2020, reflecting decreases of 68,000 for the quarter and 72,000 for the six-month period, as reduced customer-switching activity between carriers and the temporary closure of certain conventional sales channels referenced above more than offset growth in the Canadian population, successful promotions and expanded channels. During the pandemic period, as we temporarily closed our conventional retail stores to ensure the safety of our customers and team members by not having them enter a physical premises, we successfully executed our customers first initiatives including the enhanced use of our digital footprint.

 

·                  Our mobile phone churn rate was 0.80% in the second quarter of 2020 and 0.87% in the first six months of 2020, compared to 1.01% in both the second quarter of 2019 and the first six months of 2019. The decrease in the mobile phone churn rate reflects the impacts of reduced switching activity between carriers due to the COVID-19 pandemic as customers reduced their general shopping habits. This was in addition to the utilization of our TELUS Easy Payment device financing program, Peace of Mind endless data plans, Bring-It-Back™ and TELUS Family Discount offerings, our focus on executing customers first initiatives and retention programs, and our leading network quality.

 

·                  Mobile phone net additions were 61,000 in the second quarter of 2020 and 82,000 in the first six months of 2020, reflecting decreases of 21,000 for the quarter and 11,000 for the six-month period, in part due to reduced gross additions resulting from the temporary closure of certain conventional sales channels previously referenced, in addition to fewer customer additions attributed to restricted travel, partly offset by lower mobile phone churn, as described above.

 

 

28


 

·                  Mobile connected device net additions were 33,000 in the second quarter of 2020 and 82,000 in the first six months of 2020, reflecting decreases of 39,000 for both the quarter and the six-month period, primarily due to lower IoT gross additions from a reduction in business customer activity as these customers delayed purchasing decisions during the pandemic, partly offset by growth in our consumer health personal emergency response system devices.

 

Subscriber loading results discussed above were impacted in the final weeks of March 2020 and throughout the second quarter of 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic and from the restrictions put in place to protect our customers and team members, including the closure of certain stores in shopping malls and other conventional retail outlets. Our digital sales channels are well-equipped to handle the additional traffic left unaddressed by physical sales.

 

Equipment and other service revenues decreased by $95 million in the second quarter of 2020 and $148 million in the first six months of 2020, reflecting lower contracted volumes, due to customers reducing their general shopping habits primarily attributed to the temporary closure of certain sales channels due to the COVID-19 pandemic discussed above. Device financing programs, which provide transparency of full device costs resulting in customers deferring device upgrade purchases, also contributed to the decrease.

 

Other operating income decreased by $6 million in the second quarter of 2020 and $12 million in the first six months of 2020, mainly due to lower net gains from the sale of certain assets and lease-up period and other equity losses related to real estate joint ventures.

 

Intersegment revenues represent network services that are eliminated upon consolidation, along with the associated wireline expenses.

 

Operating expenses — Wireless segment

 

 

 

Second quarters ended June 30

 

Six-month periods ended June 30

 

($ in millions)

 

2020

 

2019

 

Change

 

2020

 

2019

 

Change

 

Goods and services purchased:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Equipment sales expenses

 

340

 

443

 

(23.3

)%

696

 

865

 

(19.5

)%

Network operating expenses

 

191

 

198

 

(3.5

)%

377

 

382

 

(1.3

)%

Marketing expenses

 

76

 

101

 

(24.8

)%

162

 

190

 

(14.7

)%

Other1

 

202

 

165

 

22.4

%

379

 

346

 

9.5

%

Employee benefits expense1

 

167

 

171

 

(2.3

)%

326

 

324

 

0.6

%

Wireless operating expenses

 

976

 

1,078

 

(9.5

)%

1,940

 

2,107

 

(7.9

)%

 


(1)         Includes restructuring and other costs. See Section 11.1 Non-GAAP and other financial measures.

 

Wireless operating expenses decreased by $102 million in the second quarter of 2020 and $167 million in the first six months of 2020.

 

Equipment sales expenses decreased by $103 million in the second quarter of 2020 and $169 million in the first six months of 2020, largely due to lower contracted volumes, as discussed above.

 

Network operating expenses decreased by $7 million in the second quarter of 2020 and $5 million in the first six months of 2020, mainly due to network site utilities savings and lower roaming expense resulting from decreased travel, partly offset by increased expenses related to the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) Broadband Fund.

 

Marketing expenses decreased by $25 million in the second quarter of 2020 and $28 million in the first six months of 2020, driven by a reduction in advertising and promotional activities in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as lower commissions expense partly due to an increased mix of digital sales, as our digital sales channels were well-equipped to handle the additional traffic left unaddressed by physical sales.

 

Other goods and services purchased increased by $37 million in the second quarter of 2020 and $33 million in the first six months of 2020, mostly resulting from the economic impacts and response to the COVID-19 pandemic, including an increase in our bad debt expense and higher non-labour-related restructuring and other costs, partly offset by enhanced cost efficiency programs.

 

Employee benefits expense decreased by $4 million in the second quarter of 2020 and increased by $2 million in the first six months of 2020, as the temporary closure of approximately 90% of our conventional retail stores in response to the COVID-19 pandemic caused a significant reduction in front-line labour hours, however, we took proactive efforts to redeploy substantially all team members to other areas of the business requiring support.

 

 

29


 

EBITDA — Wireless segment

 

 

 

 

Second quarters ended June 30

 

Six-month periods ended June 30

 

($ in millions, except margins)

 

2020

 

2019

 

Change

 

2020

 

2019

 

Change

 

EBITDA

 

870

 

919

 

(5.3

)%

1,804

 

1,827

 

(1.2

)%

Add restructuring and other costs included in EBITDA

 

19

 

5

 

n/m

 

22

 

14

 

n/m

 

Add lease-up period and other equity losses related to real estate joint ventures

 

1

 

 

n/m

 

4

 

 

n/m

 

Adjusted EBITDA1

 

890

 

924

 

(3.7

)%

1,830

 

1,841

 

(0.6

)%

EBITDA margin (%)

 

47.1

 

46.0

 

1.1

pts.

48.2

 

46.4

 

1.8

pts.

Adjusted EBITDA margin2 (%)

 

48.2

 

46.3

 

1.9

pts.

48.8

 

46.8

 

2.0

pts.

 


(1)       See description under EBITDA in Section 11.1 Non-GAAP and other financial measures.

(2)       Adjusted EBITDA margin is Adjusted EBITDA divided by Operating revenues, where the calculation of Operating revenues excludes lease-up period and other equity losses related to real estate joint ventures.

 

Wireless EBITDA decreased by $49 million or 5.3% in the second quarter of 2020 and $23 million or 1.2% in the first six months of 2020. Wireless Adjusted EBITDA decreased by $34 million or 3.7% in the second quarter of 2020 and $11 million or 0.6% in the first six months of 2020, reflecting the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, including lower roaming revenue resulting from restricted travel, the temporary closure of approximately 90% of our conventional retail stores, decreases in chargeable data usage as more people work from home and offload their mobile devices onto Wi-Fi networks, our increased bad debt expense and temporary waives of late payment charges. This was partially offset by higher equipment margins, incremental voice usage and enhanced cost efficiency programs in response to the pandemic.

 

5.5 Wireline segment

 

Wireline trends

 

COVID-19 was characterized as a pandemic in March 2020. The nature of the pandemic and the uncertainty of its magnitude, length and the time to recovery are not currently able to be estimated. Therefore, trends identified prior to the first quarter of 2020 and described below may not be indicative of trends effective from the first quarter of 2020 onwards, as the COVID-19 pandemic prevents us and our customers from operating in the normal course of business in certain areas. For example, the COVID-19 pandemic has constrained our ability to complete installations in the traditional manner. As well, our business customers are faced with reduced and/or closed operations. Refer to Section 1.2 for further discussion of the COVID-19 pandemic and its impacts on our wireline operations.

 

The trend over the last eight quarters of increases in wireline service revenue reflects growth in internet and third wave data services, TI revenues, TV revenues, health revenues, and home and business smart technology (including security) revenues, and is partly offset by declining wireline legacy voice and legacy data revenues. As well, increased wireline data services revenues include revenues from business acquisitions, including our acquisitions of ADT Canada on November 5, 2019 (where there was significant integration and customer retention costs in 2019 and will continue to be throughout 2020 and early 2021, the full expected operations rate is expected after that time), and CCC acquired on January 31, 2020. The increases in year-over-year internet and TV service revenues are being generated by subscriber growth and higher internet revenue per customer resulting from upgrades to faster speeds, larger data usage rate plans, diverse bundled product offerings, and the expansion of our fibre footprint. We expect continued internet subscriber base growth as we continue our investments in expanding our fibre-optic infrastructure. The total number of TV subscribers has increased as a result of higher net additions in response to diverse product offerings, fibre expansion and bundled product offerings, combined with our low customer churn rate. Security subscriber base growth is increasing as a result of business acquisitions and organic growth. Wireline growth has also been attributed to the adoption of the TELUS Whole Home bundle to meet the demand of multiple services per home. The COVID-19 pandemic and physical distancing requirements impacted security installations as access to homes and businesses were restricted, however, this was partly mitigated as we kept our customers connected and protected through offering a range of installation options, including virtually. Residential voice subscriber losses continue to reflect the ongoing trend of substitution by wireless and internet-based services, but have been partly mitigated by the success of our bundled service offerings and lower-priced offerings. The trend of declining legacy wireline voice revenues is due to technological substitution, greater use of inclusive long distance coupled with lower long distance minutes used, and intensification of competition in the small and medium-sized business market, however, our rate of decline has been moderating with our utilization of bundled product offerings and successful retention efforts. The migration of business product and service offerings to IP services and the introduction of new competitors have yielded inherently lower margins compared to some legacy business product and service offerings.

 

 

30


 

Wireline operating indicators

 

At June 30 (000s)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

2020

 

2019

 

Change

 

Subscriber connections:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Internet

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

2,044

 

1,921

 

6.4

%

TV

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

1,176

 

1,126

 

4.4

%

Residential voice

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

1,181

 

1,228

 

(3.8

)%

Security1,2

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

635

 

89

 

n/m

 

Total wireline subscriber connections1,2

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

5,036

 

4,364

 

15.4

%

 

 

 

Second quarters ended June 30

 

Six-month periods ended June 30

 

(000s)

 

2020

 

2019

 

Change

 

2020

 

2019

 

Change

 

Subscriber connection net additions (losses):

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Internet

 

37

 

25

 

48.0

%

63

 

47

 

34.0

%

TV

 

8

 

16

 

(50.0

)%

16

 

33

 

(51.5

)%

Residential voice

 

(10

)

(9

)

(11.1

)%

(23

)

(20

)

(15.0

)%

Security1

 

12

 

11

 

9.1

%

27

 

17

 

58.8

%

Total wireline subscriber connection net additions

 

47

 

43

 

9.3

%

83

 

77

 

7.8

%

 


(1)       Effective for the third quarter of 2019, with retrospective application to the launch of TELUS-branded security services at the beginning of the third quarter of 2018, we have added security subscriber connections to our total wireline subscriber connections.

(2)       December 31, 2019 security subscriber connections have been increased to include approximately 490,000 subscribers related to our acquisition of ADT Canada (acquired on November 5, 2019).

 

Operating revenues — Wireline segment

 

 

 

Second quarters ended June 30

 

Six-month periods ended June 30

 

($ in millions)

 

2020

 

2019

 

Change

 

2020

 

2019

 

Change

 

Data services

 

1,493

 

1,265

 

18.0

%

2,937

 

2,484

 

18.2

%

Voice services

 

236

 

249

 

(5.2

)%

472

 

502

 

(6.0

)%

Other services and equipment

 

95

 

95

 

%

193

 

193

 

%

Revenues arising from contracts with customers

 

1,824

 

1,609

 

13.4

%

3,602

 

3,179

 

13.3

%

Other operating income

 

73

 

5

 

n/m

 

105

 

17

 

n/m

 

External operating revenues

 

1,897

 

1,614

 

17.5

%

3,707

 

3,196

 

16.0

%

Intersegment revenues

 

64

 

60

 

6.7

%

127

 

116

 

9.5

%

Wireline operating revenues

 

1,961

 

1,674

 

17.1

%

3,834

 

3,312

 

15.8

%

 

Wireline operating revenues increased by $287 million in the second quarter of 2020 and $522 million in the first six months of 2020.

 

·                Data services revenues increased by $228 million in the second quarter of 2020 and $453 million in the first six months of 2020. The increases were driven by: (i) growth in TI revenues primarily driven by the acquisition of CCC, growth in business volumes resulting from expanded services for existing customers and customer growth, partly offset by temporary disruptions due to government-mandated site closures in response to the COVID-19 pandemic; (ii) increased revenues from home and business smart technology (including security), driven by business acquisitions, including ADT Canada, and expanded services; (iii) increased internet and third wave data service revenues, reflecting a 6.4% increase in our internet subscribers over the last 12 months and higher revenue per customer from faster internet speed upgrades, larger data usage internet rate plans, and rate changes, partly offset by initiatives to assist customers during the pandemic, including temporarily waiving overage charges; (iv) increased TV revenues, reflecting subscriber growth of 4.4% over the last 12 months; and (v) increased revenues from our virtual care solutions. This growth was partly offset by other impacts caused by the pandemic, including a decline in health revenue mainly from the temporary closures of our conventional Medisys and Copeman clinics for all non-essential services and reduced health benefit claims, in addition to lower revenue from our business customers as they redeploy their resources. Additionally, data services revenues were partially offset by the ongoing decline in legacy data service revenues.

 

 

31


 

·                Voice services revenues decreased by $13 million in the second quarter of 2020 and $30 million in the first six months of 2020, reflecting the ongoing decline in legacy voice revenues resulting from technological substitution, greater use of inclusive long distance plans and price plan changes. Declines were moderated with our utilization of bundled product offerings and successful retention efforts, as well as a temporary increase in long distance usage as customers remained connected during the COVID-19 pandemic.

 

·                Wireline subscriber connection net additions were 47,000 in the second quarter of 2020 and 83,000 in the first six months of 2020, reflecting increases of 4,000 for the quarter and 6,000 for the six-month period.

 

·                Internet net additions were 37,000 in the second quarter of 2020 and 63,000 in the first six months of 2020, reflecting increases of 12,000 for the quarter and 16,000 for the six-month period, due to continued net new demand from consumers and businesses as we continued to keep our customers connected through offering a range of installation options, as well as lower customer churn resulting from our customers first initiatives and retention programs and reduced switching activity between providers due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Our continued focus on connecting more homes and businesses directly to fibre (with TELUS PureFibre available to approximately 73% of our broadband footprint at the end of the second quarter of 2020), expanding and enhancing our addressable high-speed internet and Optik TV footprint, and bundling these services together, contributed to combined internet and TV subscriber growth of 173,000 over the last 12 months.

 

·                TV net additions were 8,000 in the second quarter of 2020 and 16,000 in the first six months of 2020, reflecting decreases of 8,000 for the quarter and 17,000 for the six-month period, mainly due to lower gross additions as a result of the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and the changing landscape of increased streaming services, partly offset by a lower customer churn rate from strong retention efforts and reduced switching activity due to the pandemic.

 

·                Residential voice net losses were 10,000 in the second quarter of 2020 and 23,000 in the first six months of 2020, as compared to residential voice net losses of 9,000 and 20,000, respectively, in the same periods in 2019. The residential voice subscriber losses continue to reflect the trend of substitution by wireless and internet-based services, partially mitigated by our expanding fibre footprint and bundled product offerings and our strong retention efforts, including lower-priced offerings.

 

·                Security net additions were 12,000 in the second quarter of 2020 and 27,000 in the first six months of 2020, reflecting increases of 1,000 for the quarter and 10,000 for the six-month period, driven from strong organic growth as we continued to keep our customers connected and protected through offering a range of installation options and demand from our bundled product offerings.

 

Subscriber loading results discussed above were impacted in the final weeks of March 2020 and throughout the second quarter of 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic and from the restrictions put in place to protect our customers and our team members, including physical distancing, which has impacted our ability to enter homes and businesses to complete installations. Where possible, we have successfully evolved our processes to permit customers to install their own equipment with the support of our technicians via a smartphone.

 

Other operating income increased by $68 million in the second quarter of 2020 and $88 million in the first six months of 2020, primarily due to a gain on a retirement of a provision arising from business acquisition-related written put options within TI. The first six months of 2020 were also impacted by a decrease in a provision arising from business acquisition-related written put options within TI.

 

Intersegment revenues represent services provided to the wireless segment, including those from TI. Such revenue is eliminated upon consolidation, together with the associated expenses in wireless.

 

Operating expenses — Wireline segment

 

 

 

Second quarters ended June 30

 

Six-month periods ended June 30

 

($ in millions)

 

2020

 

2019

 

Change

 

2020

 

2019

 

Change

 

Goods and services purchased1

 

728

 

633

 

15.0

%

1,412

 

1,247

 

13.2

%

Employee benefits expense1

 

744

 

587

 

26.7

%

1,458

 

1,140

 

27.9

%

Wireline operating expenses

 

1,472

 

1,220

 

20.7

%

2,870

 

2,387

 

20.2

%

 


(1)         Includes restructuring and other costs. See Section 11.1 Non-GAAP and other financial measures.

 

Wireline operating expenses increased by $252 million in the second quarter of 2020 and $483 million in the first six months of 2020.

 

 

32


 

Goods and services purchased increased by $95 million in the second quarter of 2020 and $165 million in the first six months of 2020, due to higher operating and administrative costs associated with business acquisitions and TI revenue growth, increases in non-labour-related restructuring and other costs related to efficiency initiatives and the COVID-19 pandemic, and higher bad debt expense resulting from the pandemic. The increase in Goods and services purchased was partly offset by savings achieved from the enhanced cost-saving initiatives in response to the economic impacts of the pandemic.

 

Employee benefits expense increased by $157 million in the second quarter of 2020 and $318 million in the first six months of 2020, primarily due to increases in compensation and benefits costs, including pension expense resulting from an increase in the number of employees from business acquisitions, as well as supporting organic TI revenue growth. Higher internal labour costs resulting from April 2019 compensation increases contributed to the increase in the first six months of 2020. These factors were partly offset by lower labour-related restructuring and other costs and a decrease in the number of domestic FTEs.

 

EBITDA — Wireline segment

 

 

 

Second quarters ended June 30

 

Six-month periods ended June 30

 

($ in millions, except margins)

 

2020

 

2019

 

Change

 

2020

 

2019

 

Change

 

EBITDA1

 

489

 

454

 

7.7

%

964

 

925

 

4.2

%

Add restructuring and other costs included in EBITDA

 

51

 

24

 

n/m

 

108

 

51

 

n/m

 

Add lease-up period and other equity losses related to real estate joint ventures

 

2

 

 

n/m

 

5

 

 

n/m

 

Deduct retirement of a provision arising from business acquisition-related written put options within TI

 

(71

)

 

n/m

 

(71

)

 

n/m

 

Adjusted EBITDA1

 

471

 

478

 

(1.2

)%

1,006

 

976

 

3.1

%

EBITDA margin (%)

 

25.0

 

27.1

 

(2.1

)pts.

25.1

 

27.9

 

(2.8

)pts.

Adjusted EBITDA margin1,2 (%)

 

24.9

 

28.5

 

(3.6

)pts.

26.7

 

29.5

 

(2.8

)pts.

 


(1)       See description under EBITDA in Section 11.1 Non-GAAP and other financial measures.

(2)       Adjusted EBITDA margin is Adjusted EBITDA divided by Operating revenues, where the calculation of Operating revenues excludes lease-up period and other equity losses related to real estate joint ventures and a retirement of a provision arising from business acquisition-related written put options within TI.

 

Wireline EBITDA increased by $35 million or 7.7% in the second quarter of 2020 and $39 million or 4.2% in the first six months of 2020. Excluding the effects of a gain on a retirement of a provision arising from business acquisition-related written put options within TI of $71 million, wireline EBITDA decreased by $36 million or 7.9% in the second quarter of 2020 and $32 million or 3.5% in the first six months of 2020.

 

Wireline Adjusted EBITDA decreased by $7 million or 1.2% in the second quarter of 2020. The decline is reflective of the COVID-19 pandemic impacts, including the temporary capacity disruptions in our TI business due to government-mandated site closures, the impacts to our health business from the temporary closures of Medisys and Copeman clinics and reduced health benefit claims, customers first initiatives including temporarily waiving overage charges, and increased bad debt expense. As well, lower Adjusted EBITDA in the second quarter of 2020 was impacted by continued declines in legacy voice and legacy data services, higher employee benefits expense, and a decline in the EBITDA contribution from our legacy business services. These factors were partly offset by an increased contribution from the TI acquisition of CCC, expanded services for existing customers and customer growth; growth from our home and business smart technology (including security), driven by business acquisitions and expanded services; and higher internet margins.

 

Wireline Adjusted EBITDA increased by $30 million or 3.1% in the first six months of 2020. The increase is reflective of the aforementioned contribution from TI, home and business smart technology (including security) and internet margins, as well as a decrease in a provision arising from business acquisition-related written put options within TI. These factors were partly offset by COVID-19 pandemic impacts as described above, the continued decline of legacy voice, legacy data, and legacy business services, as well as higher employee benefits expense and other costs related to business acquisitions.

 

 

33


 

6.              Changes in financial position

 

Financial position at:

 

June 30

 

Dec. 31

 

 

 

 

($ millions)

 

2020

 

2019

 

Change

 

Change includes:

Current assets

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Cash and temporary investments, net

 

971

 

535

 

436

 

See Section 7 Liquidity and capital resources

Accounts receivable

 

2,004

 

1,962

 

42

 

Increased primarily due to the acquisition of Competence Call Center, as well as an increase in unbilled customer finance receivables from our Bring-It-Back program and the TELUS Easy Payment device financing program, partly offset by timing of wireless wholesale customer receipts and decreases in dealer and retailer receivables corresponding with the temporary closure of approximately 90% of our conventional retail locations

Income and other taxes receivable

 

18

 

127

 

(109

)

Instalments to date are less than the expense

Inventories

 

335

 

437

 

(102

)

A decrease in the volume of handsets

Contract assets

 

538

 

737

 

(199

)

Refer to description in non-current contract assets.

Prepaid expenses

 

544

 

547

 

(3

)

Current derivative assets

 

10

 

8

 

2

 

Current liabilities

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Short-term borrowings

 

100

 

100

 

 

See Section 7.7 Sale of trade receivables

Accounts payable and accrued liabilities

 

2,873

 

2,749

 

124

 

Increases in commodity taxes, payroll and other employee-related liabilities, partly offset by the timing of accounts payable

Income and other taxes payable

 

155

 

55

 

100

 

Increase mainly due to the deferral of income tax instalments related to the COVID-19 pandemic as well as acquisition activity in the period

Dividends payable

 

372

 

352

 

20

 

Effects of increases in the number of shares outstanding

Advance billings and customer deposits

 

696

 

675

 

21

 

An increase in advance billings reflecting increased wireless subscriber growth during the period. See Note 24 of the interim consolidated financial statements

Provisions

 

83

 

288

 

(205

)

A retirement of a written put provision and disbursements exceeding new provisions

Current maturities of long-term debt

 

562

 

1,332

 

(770

)

A decrease in outstanding commercial paper, partly offset by an increase from reclassification from long-term debt relating to the upcoming 2021 maturity of $175 million of our 10.65% debentures, Series 3, in June 2021

Current derivative liabilities

 

9

 

23

 

(14

)

A decrease in the notional amount of U.S. currency hedging items.

Working capital (Current assets subtracting Current liabilities)

 

(430

)

(1,221

)

791

 

TELUS normally has a negative working capital position. See Financing and capital structure management plans in Section 4.3 and the Liquidity risk discussion in Section 7.9.

 

 

34


 

Financial position at:

 

June 30

 

Dec. 31

 

 

 

 

($ millions)

 

2020

 

2019

 

Change

 

Change includes:

Non-current assets

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Property, plant and equipment, net

 

14,559

 

14,232

 

327

 

See Capital expenditures in Section 7.3 Cash used by investing activities and Depreciation in Section 5.3 Consolidated operations

Intangible assets, net

 

13,630

 

12,844

 

786

 

See Capital expenditures in Section 7.3 Cash used by investing activities and Amortization of intangible assets in Section 5.3 Consolidated operations

Goodwill, net

 

6,132

 

5,309

 

823

 

An increase primarily driven by the acquisition of Competence Call Center. See Note 18 of the interim consolidated financial statements

Contract assets

 

212

 

328

 

(116

)

A decrease primarily driven by the introduction of our TELUS Easy Payment device financing program. Additionally, there were fewer subsidized devices and we experienced a higher proportion of customers who brought their own device

Other long-term assets

 

1,355

 

919

 

436

 

An increase in derivative assets due to the combined effect of the movement of foreign exchange rates relative to hedged rates with the relative movement between U.S. and Canadian interest rates partly offset by a decrease in pension assets resulting from financial assumption re-measurements exceeding the effects of pension plan returns greater than the discount rate.

Non-current liabilities

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Provisions

 

613

 

590

 

23

 

An increase in non-current restructuring provisions, net of amounts reclassified to current

Long-term debt

 

17,956

 

17,142

 

814

 

See Section 7.4 Cash provided (used) by financing activities

Other long-term liabilities

 

1,157

 

806

 

351

 

An increase in pension liabilities resulting from losses arising from financial assumption re-measurements exceeding the effects of pension plan returns greater than the discount rate

Deferred income taxes

 

3,352

 

3,214

 

138

 

An overall increase in temporary differences between the accounting and tax basis of assets and liabilities including those from acquisition activity.

Owners’ equity

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Common equity

 

12,046

 

10,548

 

1,498

 

See Consolidated statements of changes in owners’ equity in the interim consolidated financial statements

Non-controlling interests

 

334

 

111

 

223

 

See Consolidated statements of changes in owners’ equity in the interim consolidated financial statements.

 

7.              Liquidity and capital resources

 

This section contains forward-looking statements, including those with respect to our dividend payout ratio and net debt to EBITDA — excluding restructuring and other costs ratio. See Caution regarding forward-looking statements at the beginning of this MD&A. Refer to Section 1.2 for further discussion on the COVID-19 pandemic and its impacts on our liquidity and capital resources.

 

7.1 Overview

 

Our capital structure financial policies and financing and capital structure management plans are described in Section 4.3.

 

Cash flows

 

 

 

Second quarters ended June 30

 

Six-month periods ended June 30

 

($ millions)

 

2020

 

2019

 

Change

 

2020

 

2019

 

Change

 

Cash provided by operating activities

 

1,462

 

1,160

 

302

 

2,639

 

1,950

 

689

 

Cash used by investing activities

 

(823

)

(1,600

)

777

 

(2,782

)

(2,562

)

(220

)

Cash provided (used) by financing activities

 

(726

)

69

 

(795

)

579

 

415

 

164

 

Increase (decrease) in Cash and temporary investments, net

 

(87

)

(371

)

284

 

436

 

(197

)

633

 

Cash and temporary investments, net, beginning of period

 

1,058

 

588

 

470

 

535

 

414

 

121

 

Cash and temporary investments, net, end of period

 

971

 

217

 

754

 

971

 

217

 

754

 

 

 

35


 

7.2 Cash provided by operating activities

 

Analysis of changes in cash provided by operating activities

 

 

 

Second quarters ended June 30

 

Six-month periods ended June 30

 

($ millions)

 

2020

 

2019

 

Change

 

2020

 

2019

 

Change

 

EBITDA1 (see Section 5.4 and Section 5.5)

 

1,359

 

1,373

 

(14

)

2,768

 

2,752

 

16

 

Restructuring and other costs, net of disbursements

 

14

 

1

 

13

 

26

 

(32

)

58

 

Employee defined benefit plans expense, net of employer contributions

 

13

 

7

 

6

 

25

 

11

 

14

 

Share-based compensation expense, net of payments

 

41

 

20

 

21

 

64

 

39

 

25

 

Interest paid, net of interest received

 

(196

)

(144

)

(52

)

(370

)

(321

)

(49

)

Income taxes paid, net of recoveries received

 

(13

)

(122

)

109

 

(137

)

(473

)

336

 

Other operating working capital changes

 

244

 

25

 

219

 

263

 

(26

)

289

 

Cash provided by operating activities

 

1,462

 

1,160

 

302

 

2,639

 

1,950

 

689

 

 


(1)         See description under EBITDA in Section 11.1 Non-GAAP and other financial measures.

 

Cash provided by operating activities increased by $302 million in the second quarter of 2020 and $689 million in the first six months of 2020.

 

·                  Restructuring and other costs, net of disbursements, represented a net change of $13 million in the second quarter of 2020 and $58 million in the first six months of 2020. We made lower restructuring and other costs disbursements net of expense, related to improving our overall cost structure and operational effectiveness. In the second quarter of 2020, we incurred restructuring and other costs related to the COVID-19 pandemic. Additionally, in the first six months of 2020, we incurred restructuring and other costs in connection with our acquisition of Competence Call Center (CCC).

 

·                  Interest paid, net of interest received, increased by $52 million in the second quarter of 2020 and $49 million in the first six months of 2020, largely due to the prepayment premium described in Section 5.3, in addition to an increase in the average long-term debt balance, which was partially offset by a lower weighted-average interest rate on long-term debt.

 

·                  Income taxes paid, net of recoveries received, decreased by $109 million in the second quarter of 2020 and $336 million in the first six months of 2020, primarily due to a final income tax payment of $270 million in the first quarter of 2019 for the 2018 income tax year, which did not recur to the same extent in the first six months of 2020. Additionally, as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, various levels of government have allowed us to defer income tax instalment payments until the third quarter of 2020.

 

·                  For a discussion of Other operating working capital changes, see Section 6 Changes in financial position and Note 31(a) of the interim consolidated financial statements.

 

7.3 Cash used by investing activities

 

Analysis of changes in cash used by investing activities

 

 

 

Second quarters ended June 30

 

Six-month periods ended June 30

 

($ millions)

 

2020

 

2019

 

Change

 

2020

 

2019

 

Change

 

Cash payments for capital assets, excluding spectrum licences

 

(694

)

(645

)

(49

)

(1,474

)

(1,438

)

(36

)

Cash payments for spectrum licences

 

 

(931

)

931

 

 

(931

)

931

 

Cash payments for acquisitions, net

 

(107

)

(26

)

(81

)

(1,211

)

(188

)

(1,023

)

Advances to, and investment in, real estate joint ventures and associate, net of real estate joint venture receipts

 

(7

)

(8

)

1

 

(85

)

(15

)

(70

)

Other

 

(15

)

10

 

(25

)

(12

)

10

 

(22

)

Cash used by investing activities

 

(823

)

(1,600

)

777

 

(2,782

)

(2,562

)

(220

)

 

Cash used by investing activities decreased by $777 million in the second quarter of 2020 and increased by $220 million in the first six months of 2020.

 

·                  The increase in Cash payments for capital assets, excluding spectrum licences for both the second quarter of 2020 and the first six months of 2020, was composed of:

 

 

36


 

·                  Higher capital expenditure payments with respect to payment timing differences, as the change in associated Accounts payable and accrued liabilities decreased by $63 million in the second quarter of 2020 and $31 million in the first six months of 2020.

 

·                  A decrease in capital expenditures of $14 million in the second quarter of 2020 and an increase in capital expenditures of $5 million in the first six months of 2020 (see the Capital expenditure measures table and discussion below).

 

·                  Cash payments for spectrum licences in the second quarter of 2019 and the first six months of 2019 relate to the 600 MHz spectrum auction.

 

·                  In the second quarter of 2020, we made cash payments for individually immaterial acquisitions complementary to our existing lines of business. In addition to the activity from the second quarter of 2020, in the first six months of 2020, we made cash payments for CCC and other individually immaterial acquisitions complementary to our existing lines of business. This is compared to business acquisition activity in the first six months of 2019 that included the acquisition of a telecommunications business and other individually immaterial acquisitions.

 

·                  Advances to, and investment in, real estate joint ventures and associate, net of real estate joint venture receipts decreased by $1 million in the second quarter of 2020 and increased by $70 million in the first six months of 2020 related to our acquisition of a 28% basic equity interest in Miovision Technologies Incorporated.

 

Capital expenditure measures

 

 

 

Second quarters ended June 30

 

Six-month periods ended June 30

 

($ millions, except capital expenditure intensity)

 

2020

 

2019

 

Change

 

2020

 

2019

 

Change

 

Capital expenditures1

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Wireless segment

 

234

 

223

 

4.9

%

428

 

400

 

7.0

%

Wireline segment

 

522

 

547

 

(4.6

)%

993

 

1,016

 

(2.3

)%

Consolidated

 

756

 

770

 

(1.8

)%

1,421

 

1,416

 

0.4

%

Wireless segment capital expenditure intensity (%)

 

13

 

11

 

2

pts.

11

 

10

 

1

pt.

Wireline segment capital expenditure intensity (%)

 

27

 

33

 

(6

)pts.

26

 

31

 

(5

)pts.

Consolidated capital expenditure intensity2 (%)

 

20

 

21

 

(1

)pt.

19

 

20

 

(1

)pt.

 


(1)         Capital expenditures include assets purchased, excluding right-of-use lease assets, but not yet paid for, and therefore differ from Cash payments for capital assets, excluding spectrum licences, as reported in the condensed interim consolidated statements of cash flows. Refer to Note 31 of the interim consolidated financial statements for further information.

(2)         See Section 11.1 Non-GAAP and other financial measures.

 

Consolidated capital expenditures decreased by $14 million in the second quarter of 2020 due to the timing of our fibre build activities and lower success-based capital congruent with the decline in gross loading activity during the pandemic, partially offset by increased investments in our 5G network. Consolidated capital expenditures increased by $5 million in the first six months of 2020 primarily due to increased investments in our 5G network, in addition to investments to increase system capacity and reliability during the pandemic. These increased investments were partially offset by the timing of our fibre build activities, and efficiencies in our 4G network spend. With our ongoing investments, we are advancing wireless speeds and coverage that enabled our 5G network launch, continuing to connect additional homes and businesses directly to our fibre-optic technology, and supporting systems reliability and operational efficiency and effectiveness efforts. These investments also support our internet, TV and security subscriber growth, address our customers’ demand for faster internet speeds, and extend the reach and functionality of our business and healthcare solutions. By June 30, 2020, we had made TELUS PureFibre available to approximately 73% of our broadband footprint.

 

 

37


 

7.4 Cash provided (used) by financing activities

 

Analysis of changes in cash provided (used) by financing activities

 

 

 

Second quarters ended June 30

 

Six-month periods ended June 30

 

($ millions)

 

2020

 

2019

 

Change

 

2020

 

2019

 

Change

 

Common Shares issued

 

 

 

 

1,495

 

 

1,495

 

Dividends paid to holders of Common Shares

 

(240

)

(307

)

67

 

(462

)

(610

)

148

 

Issue (repayment) of short-term borrowings, net

 

 

(400

)

400

 

 

 

 

Long-term debt (redemption and repayments, net of issuances) issued, net of redemptions and repayment

 

(479

)

805

 

(1,284

)

(590

)

1,054

 

(1,644

)

Shares of subsidiary issued to non-controlling interests

 

 

 

 

209

 

 

209

 

Other

 

(7

)

(29

)

22

 

(73

)

(29

)

(44

)

Cash provided (used) by financing activities

 

(726

)

69

 

(795

)

579

 

415

 

164

 

 

Cash provided by financing activities decreased by $795 million in the second quarter of 2020 and increased by $164 million in the first six months of 2020.

 

Common Shares issued

 

Common Shares issued reflect 57,500,000 Common Shares issued in the first six months of 2020.

 

Dividends paid to holders of Common Shares

 

Our dividend reinvestment and share purchase (DRISP) plan trustee acquired shares from Treasury for the DRISP plan, rather than acquiring Common Shares in the stock market. Effective with the dividends paid on October 1, 2019, we offered Common Shares from Treasury at a discount of 2%. Cash payments for dividends decreased by $67 million in the second quarter of 2020 and $148 million in the first six months of 2020, which reflected the DRISP plan trustee acquiring an increased number of Common Shares from Treasury for the DRISP plan. This was partly offset by higher dividend rates under our dividend growth program (see Section 4.3) and an increase in the number of shares outstanding. During the second quarter of 2020, our DRISP plan trustee acquired Common Shares for $131 million.

 

In July 2020, we paid dividends of $232 million to the holders of Common Shares and the trustee acquired dividend reinvestment Common Shares from Treasury for $140 million, totalling $372 million.

 

Issue (repayment) of short-term borrowings, net

 

In the first six months of 2020, we drew-down and repaid $200 million advanced to us from an arm’s-length securitization trust. In the second quarter of 2019, we drew-down $400 million advanced to us from an arm’s-length securitization trust to finance working capital.

 

Long-term debt issues and repayments

 

In the second quarter of 2020, long-term debt redemptions and repayments, net of issues, were $479 million, a change of $1,284 million, compared to long-term debt issues, net of repayments, of $805 million in the second quarter of 2019, primarily composed of:

 

·                  A net decrease in commercial paper outstanding, including foreign exchange effects, of $459 million to a balance of $NIL (US$NIL) at June 30, 2020, from a balance of $459 million (US$323 million) at March 31, 2020. Our commercial paper program, when utilized, provides low-cost funds and is fully backstopped by the five-year committed credit facility (see Section 7.6 Credit facilities).

 

·                  A decrease in net draws on the TELUS International (Cda) Inc. credit facility, including foreign exchange effects, of $118 million. As at June 30, 2020, net draws due to a syndicate of financial institutions (excluding TELUS Corporation) were US$865 million, whereas as at March 31, 2020, net draws were US$913 million. The credit facility is non-recourse to TELUS Corporation. In connection with the acquisition of CCC during the three-month period ended March 31, 2020, as described in Note 18(b) of the interim consolidated financial statements, incremental amounts were drawn on the facility.

 

·                  The May 29, 2020 issues of $600 million of senior unsecured 2.35% Notes, Series CAC, due January 27, 2028, and $400 million through the re-opening of 3.95% Notes, Series CAB, due February 16, 2050. The net proceeds of this offering were used for the early full redemption of $400 million 3.60% Series CM notes due January 26, 2021 and the early full redemption of $500 million 3.20% Series CO notes due April 5, 2021 and for general corporate purposes. The long-term debt prepayment premium for the entire $400 million Series CM and $500 million Series CO notes redemptions recorded in the three-month period ended June 30, 2020 was $18 million before income taxes.

 

 

38


 

For the first six months of 2020, long-term debt redemptions and repayments, net of issues, were $590 million, resulting in a change of $1,644 million from the first six months of 2019. In addition to some activity from the second quarter of 2020, the change in balance for the first six months of 2020 was primarily composed of:

 

·                  A net decrease in commercial paper outstanding, including foreign exchange effects, of $1,015 million from a balance of $1,015 million (US$781 million) at December 31, 2019.

 

·                  An increase in net draws on the TELUS International (Cda) Inc. credit facility, including foreign exchange effects, of $736 million. As at December 31, 2019, net draws due to a syndicate of financial institutions (excluding TELUS Corporation) were US$336 million.

 

·                  In connection with our acquisition of CCC, we repaid acquired other long-term debt of $185 million.

 

The average term to maturity of our long-term debt (excluding commercial paper, the revolving component of the TELUS International (Cda) Inc. credit facility, lease liabilities and other long-term debt) was approximately 13.0 years as at June 30, 2020, increasing from approximately 12.8 years as at December 31, 2019, and from approximately 12.5 years as at June 30, 2019. Additionally, the weighted average cost of our long-term debt (excluding commercial paper, the revolving component of the TELUS International (Cda) Inc. credit facility, lease liabilities and other long-term debt) was 3.86% as at June 30, 2020, decreasing from 3.94% as at December 31, 2019 and from 4.12% as at June 30, 2019.

 

Shares of subsidiary issued to non-controlling interests

 

In the first six months of 2020, our TELUS International (Cda) Inc. subsidiary issued shares to non-controlling interests related to our acquisition of CCC.

 

Other

 

During the second quarter of 2020, we incurred certain debt issuance costs. In the first six months of 2020, in connection with our 57,500,000 Common Shares issued, we incurred certain equity issuance costs.

 

7.5 Liquidity and capital resource measures

 

Net debt was $17.7 billion at June 30, 2020, an increase of $1.1 billion compared to one year earlier, resulting mainly from the 2019 issuances of $800 million of Series CZ notes, $600 million of Series CAA notes and $400 million of Series CAB notes, as well as the issuances of $600 million of Series CAC notes and the re-opening of $400 million of Series CAB notes described in Section 7.4, and an increase in net draws due to a syndicate of financial institutions on the TELUS International (Cda) Inc. credit facility. These factors were partially offset by the 2019 early redemption of Series CH notes, as well as the early redemptions of Series CM notes and Series CO notes described in Section 7.4, a decrease in commercial paper outstanding and higher Cash and temporary investments.

 

Fixed-rate debt as a proportion of total indebtedness excludes lease liabilities and other long-term debt, and was 96% as at June 30, 2020, flat from one year earlier, mainly due to the 2019 issuances of Series CZ notes, Series CAA notes and Series CAB notes, as well as the issuances of Series CAC notes and the re-opening of Series CAB notes as described in Section 7.4, offset by the 2019 early redemption of Series CH notes, as well as the early redemptions of Series CM notes and Series CO notes. In addition, there was a decrease in commercial paper outstanding, which is classified as floating-rate debt in this calculation. These factors were offset by an increase in the amounts drawn on the TELUS International (Cda) Inc. credit facility due to a syndicate of financial institutions, which is non-recourse to TELUS Corporation.

 

Net debt to EBITDA — excluding restructuring and other costs ratio was 3.06 times, as measured at June 30, 2020, up from 2.94 times one year earlier. Our long-term objective for this measure is within a range of 2.20 to 2.70 times, which we believe is consistent with maintaining investment grade credit ratings in the range of BBB+, or the equivalent, and providing reasonable access to capital. As at June 30, 2020, this ratio remains outside of the long-term objective range due to prior issuances of incremental debt, primarily due to the acquisition of spectrum licences and business acquisitions, partially offset by growth in EBITDA — excluding restructuring and other costs. EBITDA growth was reduced by COVID-19 pandemic impacts. As at June 30, 2020, the acquisition of spectrum licences increased the ratio by approximately 0.21 and business acquisitions over the last 12 months increased the ratio by approximately 0.33. Our recent acquisitions of spectrum licences have more than doubled our national spectrum holdings and represent an investment to extend our network capacity to support continuing data consumption growth, as well as growth in our wireless subscriber base. Given the cash demands of the 2019 and upcoming spectrum auctions and the inability to quantify impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, the assessment of the guideline and return to the objective range remains to be determined; however, it is our intent to return to a ratio below 2.70 times in the medium term (following upcoming spectrum auctions), consistent with our long-term strategy. While this ratio exceeds our long-term objective range, we are well in compliance with the leverage ratio covenant in our credit facilities, which states that we may not permit our leverage ratio to exceed 4.25 to 1.00 at June 30, 2020 (see Section 7.6 Credit facilities).

 

 

39


 

Liquidity and capital resource measures

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

As at, or 12-month periods ended, June 30

 

2020

 

2019

 

Change

 

Components of debt and coverage ratios1 ($ millions)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Net debt

 

17,664

 

16,602

 

1,062

 

EBITDA — excluding restructuring and other costs

 

5,769

 

5,649

 

120

 

Net interest cost

 

797

 

706

 

91

 

Debt ratios

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Fixed-rate debt as a proportion of total indebtedness (excluding lease liabilities and other long-term debt) (%)

 

96

 

96

 

pts.

Average term to maturity of long-term debt (excluding commercial paper, the revolving component of the TELUS International (Cda) Inc. credit facility, lease liabilities and other long-term debt) (years)

 

13.0

 

12.5

 

0.5

 

Weighted average interest rate on long-term debt (excluding commercial paper, the revolving component of the TELUS International (Cda) Inc. credit facility, lease liabilities and other long-term debt) (%)

 

3.86

 

4.12

 

(0.26

)pts.

Net debt to EBITDA — excluding restructuring and other costs1 (times)

 

3.06

 

2.94

 

0.12

 

Coverage ratios1 (times)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Earnings coverage

 

3.6

 

4.2

 

(0.6

)

EBITDA — excluding restructuring and other costs interest coverage

 

7.2

 

8.0

 

(0.8

)

Other measures1 (%)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Determined using management measures

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Dividend payout ratio — net of dividend reinvestment plan effects

 

61

 

133

 

(72

)pts.

Determined using most comparable IFRS-IASB measures

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ratio of dividends declared to cash provided by operating activities less capital expenditures (excluding spectrum licences)

 

84

 

122

 

(38

)pts.

 


(1)         See Section 11.1 Non-GAAP and other financial measures.

 

Earnings coverage ratio for the 12-month period ended June 30, 2020 was 3.6 times, down from 4.2 times one year earlier. A decrease in income before borrowing costs and income taxes reduced the ratio by 0.1, while an increase in borrowing costs reduced the ratio by 0.5.

 

EBITDA — excluding restructuring and other costs interest coverage ratio for the 12-month period ended June 30, 2020 was 7.2 times, down from 8.0 times one year earlier. Growth in EBITDA — excluding restructuring and other costs increased the ratio by 0.2, while an increase in net interest costs reduced the ratio by 1.0.

 

Dividend payout ratios: Actual dividend payout decisions will continue to be subject to our Board’s assessment and the determination of our financial position and outlook, as well as our long-term dividend payout objective range of 60 to 75% of prospective free cash flow. Commencing in 2020, so as to be consistent with the way we manage our business, we updated our revised dividend payout ratio presented to be a historical measure calculated as the sum of the last four quarters’ dividends declared for Common Shares, as recorded in the financial statements, net of dividend reinvestment plan effects, divided by the sum of the last four quarters’ free cash flow amounts for interim reporting periods. For fiscal years, the denominator is annual free cash flow (free cash flow is a non-GAAP measure, see Section 11.1). The historical measure for the 12-month period ended June 30, 2020 is presented for illustrative purposes in evaluating our target guideline. During the 12-month period ended June 30, 2020, the historical measure of our dividend payout ratio was at the lower end of the range due to the discounted DRISP participation level.

 

7.6 Credit facilities

 

At June 30, 2020, we had approximately $2.25 billion of available liquidity from the TELUS revolving credit facility and $244 million of available liquidity from the TELUS International (Cda) Inc. credit facility with a syndicate of financial institutions (excluding TELUS Corporation). In addition, we had $400 million available under our trade receivables securitization program (see Section 7.7 Sale of trade receivables). We are well within our objective of generally maintaining at least $1.0 billion of available liquidity.

 

TELUS revolving credit facility

 

We have a $2.25 billion (or U.S. dollar equivalent) unsecured revolving credit facility with a syndicate of financial institutions, expiring May 31, 2023. The revolving credit facility is used for general corporate purposes, including the backstop of commercial paper, as required.

 

 

40


 

TELUS revolving credit facility at June 30, 2020

 

($ millions)

 

Expiry

 

Size

 

Drawn

 

Outstanding
undrawn
letters of
credit

 

Backstop for
commercial
paper
program

 

Available
liquidity

 

Revolving credit facility 1

 

May 31, 2023

 

2,250

 

 

 

 

2,250

 

 


(1)   Canadian dollars or U.S. dollar equivalent.

 

Our revolving credit facility contains customary covenants, including a requirement that we not permit our consolidated leverage ratio to exceed 4.25 to 1.00 and that we not permit our consolidated coverage ratio to be less than 2.00 to 1.00 at the end of any financial quarter. As at June 30, 2020, our consolidated leverage ratio was 3.06 to 1.00 and our consolidated coverage ratio was approximately 7.24 to 1.00. These ratios are expected to remain well within the covenants. There are certain minor differences in the calculation of the leverage ratio and coverage ratio under the revolving credit facility, as compared with the calculation of Net debt to EBITDA — excluding restructuring and other costs and EBITDA — excluding restructuring and other costs interest coverage. Historically, the calculations have not been materially different. The covenants are not impacted by revaluation, if any, of Property, plant and equipment, Intangible assets or Goodwill for accounting purposes. Continued access to our credit facilities is not contingent on maintaining a specific credit rating.

 

Commercial paper

 

TELUS Corporation has an unsecured commercial paper program, which is backstopped by our revolving credit facility, enabling us to issue commercial paper up to a maximum aggregate amount at any one time of $1.4 billion as at June 30, 2020. Foreign currency forward contracts are used to manage currency risk arising from issuing commercial paper denominated in U.S. dollars. The commercial paper program is to be used for general corporate purposes, including, but not limited to, capital expenditures and investments. Our ability to reasonably access the commercial paper market in the U.S. is dependent on our credit ratings (see Section 7.8 Credit ratings).

 

TELUS International (Cda) Inc. credit facility

 

As at June 30, 2020, TELUS International (Cda) Inc. had a credit facility, secured by its assets, expiring on January 28, 2025, with a syndicate of financial institutions (as 87.5% lender) and, joined in 2020, TELUS Corporation (as 12.5% lender). The credit facility is composed of a US$600 million revolving component and an amortizing US$600 million term loan component. The credit facility is non-recourse to TELUS Corporation. The outstanding revolving component and term loan components had a weighted average interest rate of 2.68% as at June 30, 2020.

 

In connection with the acquisition of CCC during the three-month period ended March 31, 2020, incremental amounts were drawn on the facility.

 

Other letter of credit facilities

 

At June 30, 2020, we had $191 million of letters of credit outstanding issued under various uncommitted facilities; such letter of credit facilities are in addition to the ability to provide letters of credit pursuant to our committed bank credit facility. Available liquidity under various uncommitted letters of credit facilities was $130 million at June 30, 2020.

 

7.7 Sale of trade receivables

 

TELUS Communications Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of TELUS, is a party to an agreement with an arm’s-length securitization trust associated with a major Schedule I Canadian bank, under which it is able to sell an interest in certain trade receivables for an amount up to a maximum of $500 million. The agreement is in effect until December 31, 2021, and available liquidity was $400 million as at June 30, 2020. (See Note 22 of the interim consolidated financial statements.) Sales of trade receivables in securitization transactions are recognized as collateralized Short-term borrowings and thus do not result in our de-recognition of the trade receivables sold.

 

TELUS Communications Inc. is required to maintain a credit rating of at least a BB by DBRS Ltd. or the securitization trust may require the sale program to be wound down prior to the end of the term. The minimum credit rating was exceeded as of July 31, 2020.

 

7.8 Credit ratings

 

There were no changes to our investment grade credit ratings during the second quarter of 2020, or as of July 31, 2020.

 

7.9 Financial instruments, commitments and contingent liabilities

 

Financial instruments

 

Our financial instruments, their accounting classification and the nature of certain risks that they may be subject to were described in Section 7.9 of our 2019 annual MD&A.

 

 

41


 

Liquidity risk

 

As a component of our capital structure financial policies, discussed in Section 4.3 Liquidity and capital resources, we manage liquidity risk by: maintaining a daily cash pooling process that enables us to manage our available liquidity and our liquidity requirements according to our actual needs; maintaining an agreement to sell trade receivables to an arm’s-length securitization trust; maintaining bilateral bank facilities and syndicated credit facilities; maintaining a commercial paper program; maintaining an in-effect shelf prospectus; continuously monitoring forecast and actual cash flows; and managing maturity profiles of financial assets and financial liabilities.

 

As at June 30, 2020, we could offer $2.5 billion of debt or equity securities pursuant to a shelf prospectus that is in effect until June 2022.

 

As at June 30, 2020, we had $2.25 billion of available liquidity from the TELUS revolving credit facility and approximately $244 million of available liquidity from the TELUS International (Cda) Inc. credit facility with a syndicate of financial institutions (excluding TELUS Corporation) (see Section 7.6 Credit facilities), as well as $400 million available under our trade receivables securitization program (see Section 7.7 Sale of trade receivables). Excluding the TELUS International (Cda) Inc. credit facility and including cash and temporary investments of approximately $1.0 billion, we had total liquidity of over $3.6 billion at June 30, 2020. This adheres to our objective of generally maintaining at least $1 billion of available liquidity. We believe that our investment grade credit ratings contribute to reasonable access to capital markets.

 

Commitments and contingent liabilities

 

Purchase obligations

 

As at June 30, 2020, our contractual commitments related to the acquisition of property, plant and equipment were $205 million through to December 31, 2022, as compared to $136 million over a period ending December 31, 2022 reported as at December 31, 2019. The increase was primarily attributed to new projects entered into prior to June 30, 2020.

 

Claims and lawsuits

 

A number of claims and lawsuits (including class actions and intellectual property infringement claims) seeking damages and other relief are pending against us and, in some cases, other wireless carriers and telecommunications service providers. As well, we have received notice of, or are aware of, certain possible claims (including intellectual property infringement claims) against us and, in some cases, other wireless carriers and telecommunications service providers.

 

It is not currently possible for us to predict the outcome of such claims, possible claims and lawsuits due to various factors, including: the preliminary nature of some claims; uncertain damage theories and demands; an incomplete factual record; uncertainty concerning legal theories and procedures and their resolution by the courts, at both the trial and the appeal levels; and the unpredictable nature of opposing parties and their demands.

 

However, subject to the foregoing limitations, management is of the opinion, based upon legal assessments and information presently available, that it is unlikely that any liability, to the extent not provided for through insurance or otherwise, would have a material effect on our financial position and the results of our operations, including cash flows, with the exception of the items disclosed in Note 29 of the interim consolidated financial statements.

 

7.10 Outstanding share information

 

Outstanding shares (millions)

 

June 30, 2020

 

July 31, 2020

 

Common Shares

 

1,278

 

1,284

 

Common Share options — all exercisable (one for one)

 

3

 

3

 

 

7.11 Transactions between related parties

 

Transactions with key management personnel

 

Our key management personnel have authority and responsibility for overseeing, planning, directing and controlling our activities and consist of our Board of Directors and our Executive Leadership Team. Total compensation expense for key management personnel was $14 million and $16 million in the second quarter of 2020 and first six months of 2020, respectively, compared to $8 million and $27 million in the comparable periods in 2019. Compensation expense for key management personnel increased in the second quarter of 2020 related to greater share-based compensation. Compensation expense for key management personnel decreased in the first six months of 2020 due to greater share-based compensation in the second quarter of 2019 primarily arising from mark-to-market metrics affecting performance condition-based restricted share units. See Note 30(a) of the interim consolidated financial statements for additional details.

 

 

42


 

Transactions with defined benefit pension plans

 

We provided management and administrative services to our defined benefit pension plans. Charges for these services were on a cost recovery basis and were immaterial.

 

Transactions with real estate joint venture and associates

 

In the second quarter of 2020, we had transactions with the TELUS Sky real estate joint venture, which is a related party to us, as set out in Note 21 of the interim consolidated financial statements.

 

For the TELUS Sky real estate joint venture, commitments and contingent liabilities include construction-related contractual commitments through to 2020 (approximately $23 million at June 30, 2020) and construction financing ($342 million, with Canadian financial institutions as 66-2/3% lender and TELUS as 33-1/3% lender) under a credit agreement maturing August 31, 2021. We have entered into a lease agreement with the TELUS Sky real estate joint venture; for lease accounting purposes, the lease commenced during the three-month period ended March 31, 2019.

 

During the six-month period ended June 30, 2020, our activity with our associate included our investment in equity of $73 million.

 

8.              Accounting matters

 

8.1 Critical accounting estimates and judgments

 

Our significant accounting policies are described in Note 1 of the Consolidated financial statements for the year ended December 31, 2019. The preparation of financial statements in conformity with generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP) requires management to make estimates, assumptions and judgments that affect: the reported amounts of assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements; the disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements; and the reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the reporting period. Actual results could differ from those estimates. Our critical accounting estimates and significant judgments are discussed with our Audit Committee each quarter and are described in Section 8.1 of our 2019 annual MD&A, which is hereby incorporated by reference. See Note 1(b) of the interim consolidated financial statements for details of our use of estimates and judgments, including about the future effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.

 

8.2 Accounting policy developments

 

Our accounting policy developments were discussed in Section 8.2 Accounting policy developments of our 2019 annual MD&A. See Note 2 of the interim consolidated financial statements for additional details.

 

9.              Update to general trends, outlook and assumptions, and regulatory developments and proceedings

 

This section contains forward-looking statements, which should be read together with the Caution regarding forward-looking statements at the beginning of this MD&A.

 

The assumptions on which our 2020 outlook was based were described in Section 9 General trends, outlook and assumptions, and regulatory developments and proceedings of our 2019 annual MD&A and were issued on February 13, 2020 under the basis that we would be operating in the normal course of business. The extent of the COVID-19 pandemic, including its interruption of the global and Canadian economies, the governmental measures put into place to contain the risk of transmission, and proactive measures we have been taking to ensure the safety and well-being of our customers, our team members, and our communities, are matters we did not predict upon issuing our assumptions for 2020, and we no longer believe that these assumptions are valid. Therefore, in May 2020, given the uncertain magnitude, duration and potential outcomes of the pandemic, we withdrew our 2020 outlook and the assumptions on which it was based.

 

Due to the wide range of possible outcomes of the COVID-19 pandemic and the uncertainty with regard to the length of the pandemic and measures in place to limit its spread and transmission, the impact on our business cannot be accurately forecasted as of the date of this MD&A. Consequently, our operations and financial results could be materially different than predicted in our previously issued guidance and in May 2020, we withdrew our existing 2020 consolidated financial guidance, which was provided in our news release dated February 13, 2020 and filed on SEDAR.

 

We intend to revisit our assumptions and consider updating our outlook and guidance when we issue our third quarter 2020 MD&A for the three-month and nine-month periods ending September 30, 2020.

 

 

43


 

9.1 Communications industry regulatory developments and proceedings

 

Our telecommunications, broadcasting and radiocommunication services are regulated under federal laws by various authorities, including the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC), Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada (ISED), Canadian Heritage and the Competition Bureau.

 

The following is a summary of certain significant regulatory developments and proceedings relevant to our business and our industry. This summary is not intended to be a comprehensive legal analysis or description of all of the specific issues described. Although we have indicated those issues for which we do not currently expect the outcome of a development or proceeding to be material to us, there can be no assurance that the expected outcome will occur or that our current assessment of its likely impact on us will be accurate. See Section 10.3 Regulatory matters of our 2019 annual MD&A.

 

Radiocommunication licences and spectrum-related matters

 

ISED regulates, among other matters, the allocation and use of radio spectrum in Canada and licenses radio apparatus, frequency bands and/or radio channels within various frequency bands to service providers and private users. The department also establishes the terms and conditions attached to such radio authorizations, including restrictions on licence transfers, coverage obligations, research and development obligations, annual reporting, and obligations concerning mandated roaming and antenna site sharing with competitors.

 

3500 MHz spectrum auction to support 5G

 

On June 5, 2019, ISED released its Decision on Revisions to the 3500 MHz Band to Accommodate Flexible Use and Preliminary Decisions on Changes to the 3800 MHz Band followed on March 5, 2020 by its Policy and Licensing Framework for Spectrum in the 3500 MHz Band, which defines the auction rules and conditions of licence for the 3500 MHz band. The auction framework provides for a 50 MHz set-aside in all markets where 50 MHz or more spectrum is available; in markets with a large population centre and less than 50 MHz of auction supply, all the auction supply will be set-aside. This is on top of the competitive imbalance that has already been introduced to the band by ISED’s transition decision for the band last year. That decision left nearly 90 MHz of the 200 MHz band in the hands of band incumbents. A combination of the transition decision, by way of a clawback and the asymmetric design of the auction framework, which sets aside a significant portion of the spectrum under auction exclusively for certain carriers in any given licence area, raises the risk that we will not be able to acquire all the spectrum we need in the auction process and we will be required to pay more than we might otherwise pay. The deadline for receipt of applications and financial deposits for participation in the 3500 MHz spectrum auction had been postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic and is now April 6, 2021 and auction bidding is expected to start on June 15, 2021.

 

mmWave and 3800 MHz spectrum auctions to support 5G

 

On June 5, 2019, ISED released its Decision on Releasing Millimetre Wave Spectrum to Support 5G, repurposing several tranches of mmWave spectrum for mobile use. ISED will consult on a licensing framework (i.e. auction rules and conditions of licence) for these mmWave bands in the future and is targeting an auction for this spectrum in 2021. There is a risk that the auction rules will favour certain carriers over us and impact our ability to acquire an adequate quantity of mmWave band spectrum.

 

The 3800 MHz spectrum is seen as an extension to the 3500 MHz band. The Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry has announced that a consultation on the 3800 MHz band would be launched in August 2020. We expect two consultations: an August 2020 consultation to address the band plan and treatment of satellite incumbents, followed by a second consultation on an auction framework for the 3800 MHz band. The spectrum auction is currently anticipated to take place in 2022. There is a risk that the auction rules will favour certain carriers over us and impact our ability to acquire an adequate quantity of 3800 MHz band spectrum.

 

Regulatory and federal government reviews

 

The CRTC and the federal government have initiated public proceedings to review various matters. They are discussed below.

 

Review of mobile wireless services

 

On February 28, 2019, the CRTC released its anticipated consultation to review the regulatory framework for mobile wireless services. The review is examining three major issues — the level of competition in the retail market, the current wholesale mobile wireless service regulatory framework, with a focus on wholesale mobile virtual network operator (MVNO) access, and the future of mobile wireless services in Canada, with a focus on reducing barriers to infrastructure deployment. The CRTC also provided a preliminary view that there should be more opportunity for MVNOs. We have participated throughout this proceeding and have filed evidence to demonstrate the high performance of Canadian wireless services on dimensions including network coverage, network quality, availability of service and pricing. We participated in all stages of this proceeding, including the oral hearing in February 2020. The proceeding is now closed.

 

 

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The impact of this proceeding on us will not be known until a decision is issued by the CRTC. That decision is not expected until late 2020, at the earliest.

 

Wireline wholesale services follow-up

 

On July 22, 2015, the CRTC released Review of wholesale wireline services and associated policies, Telecom Regulatory Policy CRTC 2015-326 (TRP 2015-326). The major component of this decision was that the CRTC ordered the introduction of a disaggregated wholesale high-speed internet access service for internet service provider (ISP) competitors. This includes access to fibre-to-the-premises (FTTP) facilities. The FTTP follow-up activities directed in TRP 2015-326 remain ongoing.

 

On June 11, 2020, the CRTC released Call for comments — Appropriate network configuration for disaggregated wholesale high-speed access services, Telecom Notice of Consultation CRTC 2020-187 (TNC 2020-187), where it will address the appropriate network and service configurations for the disaggregated wholesale high-speed access (HSA) service regime for all wholesale HSA service providers across the country. This new process takes the place of the previous follow-up proceedings and now has a common process for incumbent local exchange carriers (ILECs) and cable companies across Canada.

 

This new proceeding results from an application to the CRTC filed by the Canadian Network Operators Consortium Inc. (CNOC) to review and vary TRP 2015-326 and to seek, among other things, interim relief that would remove a speed cap pursuant to which the existing aggregated wholesale access regime will not apply to speeds in excess of 100 Mbps pending the introduction of disaggregated service; and permanent relief granting wholesale access to FTTP facilities on an aggregated basis. On March 20, 2019, the CRTC granted CNOC’s application for interim relief. We have been granted leave to appeal that decision to the Federal Court of Appeal. The CRTC’s decision with respect to the permanent relief sought by CNOC will now be made as part of TNC 2020-187 or as part of future follow-up proceedings. We anticipate no material adverse impact in the short term with respect to CNOC’s application for interim relief. It is too early to determine the impact TRP 2015-326 will have on us in the longer term.

 

Final rates for aggregated wholesale internet access services

 

On August 15, 2019, the CRTC released Telecom Order CRTC 2019-288, which finalized rates for the aggregated wholesale internet services of the ILEC and incumbent cable companies. The final rates were considerably lower than the interim rates, and the CRTC ordered the rates to apply retroactively to October 6, 2016. The financial impact of this decision was not material to us, given the volume of wholesale internet customers we currently serve.

 

On September 13, 2019, Bell Canada and affiliated companies and a collection of cable companies filed separate applications with the Federal Court of Appeal to seek leave to appeal Telecom Order CRTC 2019-288. Bell Canada and the cable companies also sought a stay of the order. On November 22, 2019, the Federal Court of Appeal allowed both leave applications and granted a stay pending the disposition of the appeal. The appeal was heard on June 25 and 26, 2020, and we anticipate a decision by the end of 2020.

 

Separately, on November 13, 2019, we filed a petition to the Governor in Council seeking to refer back to Telecom Order CRTC 2019-288 for redetermination of the rates and seeking to vary Telecom Order CRTC 2019-288 to remove its retroactive effect, all on the basis that the rates and retroactive component of the order will threaten future investment. Bell Canada and a coalition of cable companies filed similar petitions on the same day. The Governor in Council has yet to issue its decision on these petitions.

 

Also, on November 13, 2019, we filed an application to the CRTC to review and vary Telecom Order CRTC 2019-288, primarily on the basis that the CRTC made errors in calculating the carriers’ costs. Finally, on December 13, 2019, Bell Canada and a collection of cable companies also brought applications to the CRTC to review and vary Telecom Order CRTC 2019-288. The CRTC has yet to issue its decision on these applications.

 

Phase-out of the local service subsidy regime

 

On June 26, 2018, the CRTC issued Phase-out of the local service subsidy regime, Telecom Regulatory Policy CRTC 2018-213. In this decision, the CRTC determined that it would phase out the existing local service subsidy over three years, from January 1, 2019 to December 31, 2021. In September 2018, the Independent Telecommunications Providers Association (ITPA), which represents small ILECs, brought an application to the CRTC to review and vary this decision. In its application, the ITPA seeks to keep the existing local service subsidy regime in place. On February 4, 2020, the CRTC issued Independent Telecommunications Providers Association — Application to review and vary Telecom Regulatory Policy 2018-213, Telecom Decision CRTC 2020-41, in which it denied the ITPA’s application. We and the ITPA have independently sought leave to appeal Telecom Decision CRTC 2020-41 to the Federal Court of Appeal. The impact of these CRTC decisions and our application for leave to appeal are not expected to be material.

 

Review of the price cap and local forbearance regimes

 

Simultaneously with the release of the Phase-out of the local service subsidy regime decision noted above, the CRTC issued Review of the price cap and local forbearance regimes, Telecom Notice of Consultation CRTC 2018-214. In this

 

 

45


 

proceeding, the CRTC reviewed, among other things: pricing constraints for residential local exchange services; whether compensation to ILECs is required given that the local service subsidy is being eliminated further to the Phase-out of the local service subsidy regime decision; whether there is still a need for an exogenous factor mechanism in the price cap regimes; and whether changes are necessary to test for local forbearance. On February 4, 2020, the CRTC released Review of the price cap and local forbearance regimes, Telecom Regulatory Policy CRTC 2020-40, in which it affirmed its 2018 determination to phase-out the local service subsidy regime by 2021, and declined to provide compensation in the form of additional pricing flexibility for regulated primary exchange services in high-cost serving areas, including making no changes to the local forbearance regime. The impact of this decision is not material.

 

5G security review — Public Safety Canada

 

In September 2018, the federal government announced a review of national cybersecurity requirements for Canada’s 5G networks. When complete, the review is expected to provide policy clarity on what security controls or restrictions the government intends to impose on 5G networks in Canada. The timelines for the conclusion of this review have not been released by the federal government, and the government has not indicated its intentions regarding 5G cybersecurity requirements. Given the range of potential government or regulatory action that may result from this review, the impact on us, and on Canadian wireless service providers generally, cannot currently be predicted.

 

International security developments

 

On May 16, 2019, U.S. President Donald Trump signed an executive order permitting the Secretary of Commerce to block certain technology transactions deemed to constitute national security risks. Additionally, the Bureau of Industry and Security of the United States Department of Commerce (BIS) amended the U.S. Export Administration Regulations to add Huawei Technologies Co. Ltd. and its non-U.S. affiliates (collectively, Huawei) to the BIS’ Entity List, which resulted in the imposition of additional licence requirements (the Restrictions) on the export, re-export and transfer of goods, services and technology to Huawei by persons subject to the Restrictions. Subsequently, on May 20, 2019, the BIS adopted a final rule creating a 90-day temporary general licence (TGL) partially restoring the BIS’ former licensing requirements for exports, re-exports and transfer to Huawei in connection with certain transactions, including in connection with the continued operation of existing networks and equipment and the provision of support to existing handsets. The BIS has extended the validity of the final rule multiple times. Most recently, a final rule effective May 15, 2020, extended the TGL’s validity to August 13, 2020. The BIS also issued an interim final rule that extended Export Administration Regulations (EAR) to apply to items, such as semiconductor designs, that are the direct product of certain U.S. Commerce Control List (CCL) software and technology; and items, such as chipsets, that are the direct product of certain CCL semiconductor manufacturing equipment located outside the U.S.

 

Reversing an earlier position that would allow limited Huawei 5G in the U.K., on July 14, 2020, the U.K. government announced plans to legislate a ban on the purchase of all new 5G infrastructure from Huawei by December 31, 2020, and to require the removal of Huawei 5G networks deployed in the U.K. by 2027.

 

Given the range of potential government or regulatory actions by foreign governments with respect to Huawei, the impact on us, and on Canadian wireless service providers generally, cannot currently be predicted.

 

CRTC proceeding regarding device financing

 

On August 30, 2019, the CRTC commenced a proceeding to inquire into device financing plans for wireless handsets and asked certain parties, including us, to show cause why their device financing plans are permitted under the Wireless Code. This proceeding followed the introduction of device financing plans by us, Rogers and Bell in July 2019, including, for Rogers and us, plans with terms longer than 24 months. Under these plans, customers who cancel wireless services contracts are required to repay immediately the outstanding financing balance in full. On August 2, 2019, the CRTC issued a letter stating that wireless service providers were to stop offering device financing plans beyond 24 months so it could review the practice. In the proceeding, the CRTC sought comment on the effects on consumers of financing plans beyond 24 months and how the provisions of the Wireless Code apply to device financing. We intervened to inform the CRTC that: device financing is desired by customers; customers benefit from longer financing periods because upfront device costs are lower and the cost of devices can be spread over a longer period, thereby reducing the monthly cost; the objective of the Wireless Code should be to benefit customers; and longer device financing periods further the federal government’s affordability agenda for wireless services. Until the CRTC issues a decision on its intended treatment of financing plans, it is too early to determine the impact of this proceeding on us.

 

CRTC proceeding regarding potential barriers to the deployment of broadband-capable networks in underserved areas in Canada

 

On December 10, 2019, the CRTC issued Call for comments regarding potential barriers to the deployment of broadband-capable networks in underserved areas in Canada, Telecom Notice of Consultation CRTC 2019-406. In this proceeding, the CRTC is seeking comment on barriers that service providers and communities face in building new facilities, or interconnecting to or accessing existing facilities, to extend networks into underserved areas in order to offer universal service objective-level services. The CRTC has specifically identified access to affordable transport services

 

 

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and efficient use of support structures as potential barriers. We are participating fully in the proceeding. It is too early to determine the impact of the proceeding on us.

 

Government mobile wireless affordability election commitment

 

Affordability of wireless services was a campaign topic during the October 2019 federal election. On March 5, 2020, the Liberal government clarified its expectation that we, Bell, and Rogers (including flanker brands) lower mobile wireless prices for postpaid, bring your own device plans in the 2 to 6 GB range by 25% by January 2022. The government reiterated this statement on June 5, 2020. To track progress, the government will report quarterly on wireless pricing. We are unable to determine the full impact of this commitment at this time. The announcement or implementation of specific regulations or other actions intended to reduce cell phone plan prices could precipitate a material reduction in operating expenditures and capital expenditures to ameliorate this impact.

 

CRTC review of rate setting for wholesale telecommunications services

 

On April 24, 2020, the CRTC issued Call for comments — Review of the approach to rate setting for wholesale telecommunications services, Telecom Notice of Consultation CRTC 2020-131. In this proceeding, the CRTC is seeking comment on whether to change its methodology of setting wholesale rates and, if so, how. The CRTC has stated its intent to use the proceeding to establish a more transparent and efficient rate-setting process. We intend to participate fully in all stages of the proceeding. It is too early to determine the impact of the proceeding on us.

 

CRTC review of availability of mobile wireless plans for Canadians with disabilities

 

On June 1, 2020, the CRTC issued Call for comments — Accessibility — mobile wireless service plans that meet the needs of Canadians with various disabilities, Telecom Notice of Consultation 2020-178. In this proceeding, the CRTC is examining whether retail wireless service providers are meeting their requirements to offer mobile wireless plans that meet the needs of Canadians with disabilities; to promote those plans in ways that are accessible (including through stores, websites and customer service representatives); and whether new regulatory measures are required. We intend to participate fully in this proceeding to demonstrate how we are complying with existing requirements. The impact of this proceeding is not expected to be material.

 

Broadcasting-related issues

 

Broadcasting licences held by TELUS

 

Our regional licences to operate broadcasting distribution undertakings in B.C. and Alberta were granted renewals in Broadcasting Decision CRTC 2018-267, which extends the licence terms to August 31, 2023. Our licence to operate a regional broadcasting distribution undertaking in areas of Quebec was renewed on June 28, 2019 in Broadcasting Decision CRTC 2019-230, extending the licence term to August 31, 2024. Our licence to operate a national video-on-demand service was renewed to August 31, 2023, as part of Broadcasting Decision CRTC 2018-20. We have applied to the CRTC for authorization to operate a pay-per-view undertaking, which is currently being reviewed by the CRTC as part of Broadcasting Notice of Consultation CRTC 2020-75.

 

Review of the Telecommunications Act, the Radiocommunication Act and the Broadcasting Act

 

On January 29, 2020, the Broadcasting and Telecommunications Legislative Review panel released its final report entitled Canada’s Communications Future: Time to Act. The report contains 97 recommendations to update legislation governing broadcasting, telecommunications and radiocommunication for the Government of Canada to consider. Although no immediate changes or legal consequences flow from the release of the report, the Minister of Canadian Heritage has signaled his intention to introduce new legislation to amend the Broadcasting Act during the fall parliamentary session. It is too early to determine if any resulting legislation will have a material impact on us.

 

Review of the Copyright Act and Copyright Board reforms

 

The Copyright Act’s statutorily mandated five-year review was due in 2017, and a process for conducting the review via parliamentary committee was announced in December 2017. The Standing Committee on Industry, Science and Technology (INDU Committee), with the assistance of the Standing Committee on Canadian Heritage, completed the review early in 2019, and both committees presented reports to the House of Commons in May and June of 2019. Although the INDU Committee had requested that a comprehensive government response be tabled by September 1, 2019, the government did not respond. Following the October 2019 federal election, the timeline for potential changes to the Copyright Act is uncertain. The policy approach for copyright has traditionally been based on a balance of interests of creators and consumers, and as a result, any changes to the Copyright Act are not expected to have a negative material impact on us.

 

Legal challenge to the CRTC’s ability to regulate affiliation agreements

 

The CRTC’s ability to regulate affiliation agreements between broadcasting distributors and programming services is currently being challenged by vertically integrated broadcasting entities before the Federal Court of Appeal. We were granted leave to intervene in the case and defended the CRTC’s regulatory powers as a cornerstone of its vertical integration framework, which aims to ensure the fair treatment by vertically integrated firms of rival broadcasting

 

 

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distributors and programming services. The Federal Court of Appeal’s decision is not expected before late 2020, at the earliest. While an adverse decision could weaken our negotiating position vis-a-vis vertically integrated firms that supply “must-have” channels to our broadcasting distribution business, it is too early to determine the impact it would have on our broadcasting distribution activities.

 

10.       Risks and risk management

 

Reference is made as well to the summary of risks and uncertainties in the Caution regarding forward-looking statements at the beginning of this MD&A. The principal risks and uncertainties that could affect our future business results and associated risk mitigation activities were described in our 2019 annual MD&A and have not materially changed since December 31, 2019, except for the following updates:

 

COVID-19

 

On March 11, 2020, the World Health Organization declared the outbreak of the novel coronavirus identified as COVID-19 to be a pandemic. In Canada, throughout March 2020, each province and territory either declared a state of emergency or a public health emergency. The nature of the pandemic and the responses to it and to its impacts by governments and the public sector, as well as by the private sector, are all continuing to evolve quickly and often unpredictably. Responses to date have included unprecedented restrictions on individuals’ movements and on gatherings of individuals, including international travel restrictions, and restrictions on how or whether businesses and institutions including schools may operate. Although processes are underway to ease these restrictions in certain jurisdictions, there is no assurance that such easing will continue in all jurisdictions or that such restrictions will not be imposed again.

 

Due to the wide range of possible COVID-19 pandemic outcomes and the uncertainty with regard to the duration and impact of both the pandemic and government policies implemented to limit its spread, we cannot accurately forecast the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on our future operations. However, the COVID-19 pandemic may, directly or indirectly, materially and adversely affect our operations, condition and financial results.

 

Risks and uncertainties that could affect our business results, as described in our 2019 annual MD&A, as well as the price of our securities, and which could be accentuated by the COVID-19 pandemic or by any future pandemic or similar event include, but are not limited to:

 

a)             The extent and duration of restrictions on movement, business and other activities that are currently imposed by governments and regulatory bodies or other public sector actors or that may be imposed in the future in response to the pandemic, such as the required closing of conventional retail stores and travel bans (see also Section 10.3 of our 2019 annual MD&A regarding regulatory matters)

 

b)             The impact of the pandemic and the restrictions imposed in response to it on our customers, both directly and indirectly, as a result of the deterioration of global and local economic conditions. This could result in financial hardship for our customers and could accentuate challenges faced by certain customers due to fluctuations in the price of oil, and these factors could affect our customers’ ability to pay for our products and services, or result in a material reduction in the demand for or profitability of the products and services that we offer (such as roaming and mobile data) (see also Section 10.5 of our 2019 annual MD&A regarding technology and Section 10.15 regarding the economy)

 

c)              Supply chain disruption and lack of resiliency in relation to the pandemic or related restrictions, which could result in supply shortages/price increases and extended lead times across electronic component and other product manufacturing segments, affecting our ability to maintain or upgrade our network and delaying the introduction of new products such as mobile phones (see also Section 10.6 of our 2019 annual MD&A regarding suppliers)

 

d)             The impact on the health and well-being of our team, due to illness or due to changing responsibilities in their lives outside work (see also Section 10.11 of our 2019 annual MD&A regarding our team)

 

e)              Increased capital expenditures required to maintain our leading network and adjust in short timeframes to changes in our customers’ usage, as well as increase expenses to meet the significantly increased demand for our virtual care solutions, such as Babylon by TELUS Health and Akira by TELUS Health, and impacts on the availability of capital and the cost of such capital in uncertain global markets (see also Section 10.13 of our 2019 annual MD&A regarding financing).

 

Mitigation: See Section 1.2 for a description of the operational measures currently undertaken or planned to address risks to our business relating to the COVID-19 pandemic. Although we believe these measures to mitigate these risks are reasonable, there can be no assurance that they will effectively or fully address the risks described.

 

 

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11.       Definitions and reconciliations

 

11.1 Non-GAAP and other financial measures

 

We have issued guidance on and report certain non-GAAP measures that are used to evaluate the performance of TELUS, as well as to determine compliance with debt covenants and to manage our capital structure. As non-GAAP measures generally do not have a standardized meaning, they may not be comparable to similar measures presented by other issuers. Securities regulations require such measures to be clearly defined, qualified and reconciled with their nearest GAAP measure. Certain of the metrics do not have generally accepted industry definitions.

 

Adjusted Net income and adjusted basic earnings per share: These measures are used to evaluate performance at a consolidated level and exclude items that may obscure the underlying trends in business performance. These measures should not be considered alternatives to Net income and basic earnings per share in measuring TELUS’ performance. Items that may, in management’s view, obscure the underlying trends in business performance include, but are not limited to significant gains or losses associated with real estate development partnerships, gains on exchange of wireless spectrum licences, restructuring and other costs, long-term debt prepayment premiums (when applicable), income tax-related adjustments, asset retirements related to restructuring activities and gains arising from business combinations. (See Reconciliation of adjusted Net income and Reconciliation of adjusted basic EPS in Section 1.3.)

 

Capital expenditure intensity: This measure is calculated as capital expenditures (excluding spectrum licences) divided by total operating revenues. This measure provides a basis for comparing the level of capital expenditures to those of other companies of varying size within the same industry.

 

Dividend payout ratio: Commencing in 2020, this is a historical measure calculated as the sum of the last four quarterly dividends declared, as reported in the financial statements, net of dividend reinvestment plan effects, divided by the sum of free cash flow amounts for the most recent four quarters for interim reporting periods. For fiscal years, the denominator is annual free cash flow. Our objective range for the annual dividend payout ratio is on a prospective basis, rather than on a trailing basis. (See Section 7.5 Liquidity and capital resource measures.)

 

Calculation of Dividend payout ratio, net of dividend reinvestment plan effects

 

Determined using management measures

 

12-month periods ended June 30 ($ millions, except ratio)

 

2020

 

2019

 

Sum of the last four quarterly dividends declared

 

1,433

 

1,307

 

Sum of the last four quarterly amount of dividends declared reinvested in Common Shares

 

(516

)

(90

)

Numerator — Sum of the last four quarterly dividends declared, net of dividend reinvestment plan effects

 

917

 

1,217

 

Denominator — Free cash flow

 

1,511

 

912

 

Ratio (%)

 

61

 

133

 

 

Calculation of ratio of dividends declared to cash provided by operating activities less capital expenditures (excluding spectrum licences)

 

Determined using most comparable IFRS-IASB measures

 

12-month periods ended June 30 ($ millions, except ratio)

 

2020

 

2019

 

Numerator — Sum of the last four quarterly dividends declared per Common Share

 

1,433

 

1,307

 

Cash provided by operating activities

 

4,616

 

3,964

 

Less:

 

 

 

 

 

Capital expenditures (excluding spectrum licences)

 

(2,911

)

(2,889

)

Denominator — Cash provided by operating activities less capital expenditures (excluding spectrum licences)

 

1,705

 

1,075

 

Ratio (%)

 

84

 

122

 

 

Earnings coverage: This measure is defined in the Canadian Securities Administrators’ National Instrument 41-101 and related instruments, and is calculated as follows:

 

 

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Calculation of Earnings coverage

 

12-month periods ended June 30 ($ millions, except ratio)

 

2020

 

2019

 

Net income attributable to Common Shares

 

1,441

 

1,745

 

Income taxes (attributable to Common Shares)

 

517

 

432

 

Borrowing costs (attributable to Common Shares)1

 

765

 

682

 

Numerator

 

2,723

 

2,859

 

Denominator — Borrowing costs

 

765

 

682

 

Ratio (times)

 

3.6

 

4.2

 

 


(1)         Interest on Long-term debt plus Interest on short-term borrowings and other plus long-term debt prepayment premium, adding capitalized interest and deducting borrowing costs attributable to non-controlling interests.

 

EBITDA (earnings before interest, income taxes, depreciation and amortization): We have issued guidance on and report EBITDA because it is a key measure used to evaluate performance at a consolidated level. EBITDA is commonly reported and widely used by investors and lending institutions as an indicator of a company’s operating performance and ability to incur and service debt, and as a valuation metric. EBITDA should not be considered an alternative to Net income in measuring TELUS’ performance, nor should it be used as a measure of cash flow. EBITDA as calculated by TELUS is equivalent to Operating revenues less the total of Goods and services purchased expense and Employee benefits expense.

 

We calculate EBITDA — excluding restructuring and other costs, as it is a component of the EBITDA — excluding restructuring and other costs interest coverage ratio and the Net debt to EBITDA — excluding restructuring and other costs ratio.

 

We also calculate Adjusted EBITDA to exclude items of an unusual nature that do not reflect our ongoing operations and should not, in our opinion, be considered in a long-term valuation metric or should not be included in an assessment of our ability to service or incur debt.

 

EBITDA reconciliation

 

 

 

Second quarters
ended June 30

 

Six-month periods
ended June 30

 

($ millions)

 

2020

 

2019

 

2020

 

2019

 

Net income

 

315

 

520

 

668

 

957

 

Financing costs

 

202

 

189

 

394

 

357

 

Income taxes

 

117

 

31

 

256

 

188

 

Depreciation

 

505

 

470

 

1,028

 

940

 

Amortization of intangible assets

 

220

 

163

 

422

 

310

 

EBITDA

 

1,359

 

1,373

 

2,768

 

2,752

 

Add restructuring and other costs included in EBITDA

 

70

 

29

 

130

 

65

 

EBITDA — excluding restructuring and other costs

 

1,429

 

1,402

 

2,898

 

2,817

 

Add lease-up period and other equity losses related to real estate joint ventures

 

3

 

 

9

 

 

Deduct retirement of a provision arising from business acquisition-related written put options within TI

 

(71

)

 

(71

)

 

Adjusted EBITDA

 

1,361

 

1,402

 

2,836

 

2,817

 

 

Calculation of Adjusted EBITDA margin

 

 

 

Second quarters
ended June 30

 

Six-month periods
ended June 30

 

($ millions)

 

2020

 

2019

 

2020

 

2019

 

Numerator — Adjusted EBITDA

 

1,361

 

1,402

 

2,836

 

2,817

 

Adjusted Operating revenues:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Operating revenues

 

3,728

 

3,597

 

7,422

 

7,103

 

Lease-up period and other equity losses related to real estate joint ventures

 

3

 

 

9

 

 

Retirement of a provision arising from business acquisition-related written put options within TI

 

(71

)

 

(71

)

 

Denominator — Adjusted Operating revenues

 

3,660

 

3,597

 

7,360

 

7,103

 

Adjusted EBITDA margin (%)

 

37.2

 

39.0

 

38.6

 

39.7

 

 

 

50


 

EBITDA — excluding restructuring and other costs interest coverage: This measure is defined as EBITDA —excluding restructuring and other costs, divided by Net interest cost, calculated on a 12-month trailing basis. This measure is similar to the coverage ratio covenant in our credit facilities, as described in Section 7.6 Credit facilities.

 

Free cash flow: We report this measure as a supplementary indicator of our operating performance, and there is no generally accepted industry definition of free cash flow. It should not be considered an alternative to the measures in the Consolidated statements of cash flows. Free cash flow excludes certain working capital changes (such as trade receivables and trade payables), proceeds from divested assets and other sources and uses of cash, as found in the Consolidated statements of cash flows. It provides an indication of how much cash generated by operations is available after capital expenditures (excluding purchases of spectrum licences) that may be used to, among other things, pay dividends, repay debt, purchase shares or make other investments. We exclude impacts of accounting changes that do not impact cash, such as IFRS 15 and IFRS 16. Free cash flow may be supplemented from time to time by proceeds from divested assets or financing activities.

 

Free cash flow calculation

 

 

 

Second quarters
ended June 30

 

Six-month periods
ended June 30

 

($ millions)

 

2020

 

2019

 

2020

 

2019

 

EBITDA

 

1,359

 

1,373

 

2,768

 

2,752

 

Add non-cash losses (deduct non-cash gains) from the sale of property, plant and equipment

 

1

 

(5

)

(2

)

(10

)

Restructuring and other costs, net of disbursements

 

14

 

1

 

26

 

(32

)

Effects of contract asset, acquisition and fulfilment (IFRS 15 impact) and TELUS Easy Payment device financing

 

102

 

15

 

214

 

53

 

Effects of lease principal (IFRS 16 impact)

 

(81

)

(64

)

(165

)

(152

)

Leases formerly accounted for as finance leases (IFRS 16 impact)

 

27

 

13

 

54

 

26

 

Items from the condensed interim consolidated statements of cash flows:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Share-based compensation, net

 

41

 

20

 

64

 

39

 

Net employee defined benefit plans expense

 

25

 

19

 

52

 

39

 

Employer contributions to employee defined benefit plans

 

(12

)

(12

)

(27

)

(28

)

Interest paid

 

(199

)

(147

)

(376

)

(326

)

Interest received

 

3

 

3

 

6

 

5

 

Capital expenditures (excluding spectrum licences)1

 

(756

)

(770

)

(1,421

)

(1,416

)

Free cash flow before income taxes

 

524

 

446

 

1,193

 

950

 

Income taxes paid, net of refunds

 

(13

)

(122

)

(137

)

(473

)

Free cash flow

 

511

 

324

 

1,056

 

477

 

 


(1)         Refer to Note 31 of the interim consolidated financial statements for further information.

 

The following reconciles our definition of free cash flow with cash provided by operating activities.

 

Free cash flow reconciliation with Cash provided by operating activities

 

 

 

Second quarters
ended June 30

 

Six-month periods
ended June 30

 

($ millions)

 

2020

 

2019

 

2020

 

2019

 

Free cash flow

 

511

 

324

 

1,056

 

477

 

Add (deduct):

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Capital expenditures (excluding spectrum licences)

 

756

 

770

 

1,421

 

1,416

 

Adjustments to reconcile to Cash provided by operating activities

 

195

 

66

 

162

 

57

 

Cash provided by operating activities

 

1,462

 

1,160

 

2,639

 

1,950

 

 

 

51


 

Free cash flow calculation

 

12-month periods ended June 30 ($ millions)

 

2020

 

2019

 

EBITDA

 

5,570

 

5,336

 

Deduct non-cash gains from the sale of property, plant and equipment

 

(13

)

(43

)

Restructuring and other costs, net of disbursements

 

22

 

43

 

Effects of contract asset, acquisition and fulfilment (IFRS 15 impact) and TELUS Easy Payment device financing

 

43

 

(172

)

Effects of lease principal (IFRS 16 impact)

 

(346

)

(152

)

Leases formerly accounted for as finance leases (IFRS 16 impact)

 

136

 

26

 

Deduct non-recurring gains and equity income related to real estate joint ventures

 

 

(171

)

Donation to TELUS Friendly Future Foundation in TELUS Common Shares

 

 

100

 

Items from the Consolidated statements of cash flows:

 

 

 

 

 

Share-based compensation, net

 

23

 

2

 

Net employee defined benefit plans expense

 

91

 

85

 

Employer contributions to employee defined benefit plans

 

(40

)

(46

)

Interest paid

 

(764

)

(654

)

Interest received

 

8

 

9

 

Capital expenditures (excluding spectrum licences)1

 

(2,911

)

(2,889

)

Free cash flow before income taxes

 

1,819

 

1,474

 

Income taxes paid, net of refunds

 

(308

)

(562

)

Free cash flow

 

1,511

 

912

 

 


(1)         Refer to Note 31 of the interim consolidated financial statements for further information.

 

Free cash flow reconciliation with Cash provided by operating activities

 

12-month periods ended June 30 ($ millions)

 

2020

 

2019

 

Free cash flow

 

1,511

 

912

 

Add:

 

 

 

 

 

Capital expenditures (excluding spectrum licences)

 

2,911

 

2,889

 

Adjustments to reconcile to Cash provided by operating activities

 

194

 

163

 

Cash provided by operating activities

 

4,616

 

3,964

 

 

Net debt: We believe that net debt is a useful measure because it represents the amount of Short-term borrowings and long-term debt obligations that are not covered by available Cash and temporary investments. The nearest IFRS measure to net debt is Long-term debt, including Current maturities of Long-term debt. Net debt is a component of the Net debt to EBITDA — excluding restructuring and other costs ratio.

 

Calculation of Net debt

 

As at June 30 ($ millions)

 

2020

 

2019

 

Long-term debt including current maturities

 

18,518

 

16,579

 

Debt issuance costs netted against long-term debt

 

96

 

105

 

Derivative (assets) liabilities, net

 

(392

)

92

 

Accumulated other comprehensive income amounts arising from financial instruments used to manage interest rate and currency risks associated with U.S. dollar-denominated long-term debt (excluding tax effects)

 

313

 

(57

)

Cash and temporary investments, net

 

(971

)

(217

)

Short-term borrowings

 

100

 

100

 

Net debt

 

17,664

 

16,602

 

 

Net debt to EBITDA — excluding restructuring and other costs: This measure is defined as net debt at the end of the period divided by 12-month trailing EBITDA — excluding restructuring and other costs. (See discussion in Section 7.5 Liquidity and capital resource measures.) This measure is similar to the leverage ratio covenant in our credit facilities, as described in Section 7.6 Credit facilities.

 

Net interest cost: This measure is the denominator in the calculation of EBITDA — excluding restructuring and other costs interest coverage. Net interest cost is defined as financing costs, excluding capitalized long-term debt interest, employee defined benefit plans net interest and recoveries on redemption and repayment of debt, calculated on a 12-month trailing basis. Expenses recorded for the long-term debt prepayment premium, if any, are included in net interest cost. Net interest cost was $797 million in the 12-month period ended June 30, 2020, and $706 million in the 12-month period ended June 30, 2019.

 

Restructuring and other costs: With the objective of reducing ongoing costs, we incur associated incremental, non-recurring restructuring costs. We may also incur atypical charges, which are included in other costs, when undertaking

 

 

52


 

major or transformational changes to our business or operating models or post-acquisition business integration. In other costs, we include incremental atypical external costs incurred in connection with business acquisition or disposition activity, as well as significant litigation costs in respect of losses or settlements, adverse retrospective regulatory decisions and incremental atypical costs incurred due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

 

Components of restructuring and other costs

 

 

 

Second quarters
ended June 30

 

Six-month periods
ended June 30

 

($ millions)

 

2020

 

2019

 

2020

 

2019

 

Goods and services purchased

 

60

 

8

 

110

 

26

 

Employee benefits expense

 

10

 

21

 

20

 

39

 

Restructuring and other costs included in EBITDA

 

70

 

29

 

130

 

65

 

 

11.2 Operating indicators

 

The following measures are industry metrics that are useful in assessing the operating performance of a wireless and wireline telecommunications entity, but do not have a standardized meaning under IFRS-IASB.

 

Mobile phone average billing per subscriber per month (ABPU) is calculated as network revenue derived from monthly service plan, roaming and usage charges, as well as monthly re-payments of the outstanding device balance owing from customers on contract; divided by the average number of mobile phone subscribers on the network during the period, and is expressed as a rate per month.

 

Mobile phone average revenue per subscriber per month (ARPU) is calculated as network revenue derived from monthly service plan, roaming and usage charges; divided by the average number of mobile phone subscribers on the network during the period, and is expressed as a rate per month.

 

Churn is calculated as the number of subscribers deactivated during a given period divided by the average number of subscribers on the network during the period, and is expressed as a rate per month. Mobile phone churn refers to the aggregate average of both prepaid and postpaid mobile phone churn. A TELUS, Koodo or Public Mobile brand prepaid mobile phone subscriber is deactivated when the subscriber has no usage for 90 days following expiry of the prepaid credits.

 

Mobile connected device subscriber means a TELUS subscriber on an active service plan with a recurring revenue-generating portable unit (e.g. tablets, internet keys, Internet of Things, wearables and connected cars) that is connected to the TELUS network and is intended for limited or no cellular voice capability.

 

Mobile phone subscriber means a TELUS subscriber on an active service plan with a recurring revenue-generating portable unit (e.g. feature phones and smartphones) that is connected to the TELUS network and provides voice, text and/or data connectivity.

 

Internet subscriber means a TELUS subscriber on an active internet plan with a recurring revenue-generating fixed unit that is connected to the TELUS network and provides internet connectivity.

 

Residential voice subscriber means a TELUS subscriber on an active phone plan with a recurring revenue-generating fixed unit that is connected to the TELUS network and provides voice service.

 

Security subscriber means a TELUS subscriber on an active security plan with a recurring revenue-generating fixed unit that is connected to the TELUS security and automation platform.

 

TV subscriber means a TELUS subscriber on an active TV plan with a recurring revenue-generating fixed unit subscription for video services from a TELUS TV platform (e.g. Optik TV and Pik TV).

 

 

53



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tu-20200630.xsd
Attachment: XBRL TAXONOMY EXTENSION SCHEMA DOCUMENT


tu-20200630_cal.xml
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