BC Tel

BC Tel, formerly known as the British Columbia Telephone Company, was the primary telecommunications company in the province of British Columbia, Canada. Founded in 1916 from a merger of several smaller telephone companies, it held a near-monopoly on telephone services within the province for much of the 20th century.

BC Tel provided a wide range of services, including local and long-distance telephone service, data communication, and directory assistance. It played a significant role in expanding telephone infrastructure across British Columbia, particularly in remote and rural areas.

In the late 1990s, the telecommunications industry in Canada underwent deregulation, leading to increased competition. In 1999, BC Tel merged with Clearnet Communications Inc., a national wireless provider, to form Telus Corporation. As a result, the BC Tel name was phased out and the company transitioned to operating solely under the Telus brand. While the BC Tel name is no longer in use, its legacy as the dominant telephone provider in British Columbia remains an important part of the province's telecommunications history.