TELUS Reports Third Quarter Results

TELUS Reports Third Quarter Results

VANCOUVER, Nov. 3 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ - TELUS Corporation (TSX: T and T.A / NYSE: TU) today reported for the third quarter of 2006 a seven per cent increase in revenues to $2.2 billion from a year ago due to continued strong wireless and data growth. Earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization (EBITDA) increased 13% due to strong wireless and wireline growth, aided by higher 2005 expenses due to the labour disruption. Earnings per share (EPS) for the third quarter were 94 cents, compared to 53 cents for the same period a year ago. EPS this quarter included favourable tax related adjustments of 9 cents per share. When normalizing for tax and the labour disruption impacts from 2005, EPS this quarter increased 42% due primarily to EBITDA growth lower depreciation and lower financing costs.

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A higher phone bill may save your life.

A higher phone bill may save your life.

Janice Kilgore, public safety director for Escambia County, is working on local legislation in hopes of increasing the 911 fee on phone bills from 50 cents to $1 so improvements can be made on the emergency service."We have made this request for the past two years," she said. "Hopefully, this year they'll take a better look at it."Kilgore said she has been working with a county lobbying group to submit a request through the county administrator's office to get the state to approve the much-needed increase."As our county has grown and our call load has grown, we need more equipment and more people," she said. "We need upgrades. (The current fee) doesn't give us much money for making improvements."The 911 fee for local phone bills was regulated by the state in the 1980s."Things are different now," said Bob Boschen, chief of the Department of Public Safety's communications division.

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More Phone Tips

More Phone Tips

Ratewatcher, the handy little magazine from the office of the Maine public advocate, recently offered more ideas on how to reduce some telephone charges. Here are some highlights:

For 411 directory service, there's no need to pay the $1.25 fee from a cell phone or the 40 cents (after three free calls a month) and $1.25 for out-of-state calls from a landline phone. Simply dial 1-800-FREE-411, and you will get your number for nothing. If you are paying $7.50 a month for Caller ID, you can save. Callers can evade the system by dialing *67 to block it or by "spoofing" it with a false calling number. A better system is to use a cheap answering machine to screen calls. Ratewatcher also has pages of data on local service providers, long-distance plus DSL packages, prepaid calling cards, full-service long-distance plans, and monthly-fee wireless plans to help you make the best choices.

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Wal-Mart Turns up Holiday Savings; Turns Down Prices on the ...

Wal-Mart Turns up Holiday Savings; Turns Down Prices on the ... BENTONVILLE, Ark., Nov. 3 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Wal-Mart (NYSE: WMT) continues to brighten the holidays for families everywhere with significant price rollbacks on nearly one hundred of the season's must have electronics- the second set in a series of price cuts on thousands of key gift, entertaining and holiday goods. Key merchandise -- rolled back at Wal-Mart in the month of November through December 31-- includes High Definition Televisions, digital cameras and cell phones. While gathering to watch hot new releases such as "MI3," "Cars" or "Over the Hedge," families will be thrilled with the crisp picture, vibrant colors and superior sound of a new HDTV. Top television prices rolled back include the Panasonic 42" HD plasma TV (was $1,794/now $1,294) and the Polaroid 37" LCD HDTV (now $1,297/will be $997) and the RCA 32" LCD HDTV (was $997/now $847).

PTI prepaid cell phones at Saipan Shell Stations

PTI prepaid cell phones at Saipan Shell Stations Kathryn Barry, PTI's marketing manager, said the new distribution agreement with Shell was in response to customer requests to make phone purchases after business hours and on weekends. "More and more of our customers are requesting PTI products and services outside of regular business hours. PTI's Saturday hours program and paperless billing and online bill payment are two more additions that give our customers flexibility and convenience," Barry said.PTI wireless manager Hans Mickelson said "the phones are ready to go and customers can be on their way in only a few minutes. In the time it takes to fill your tank, you can purchase a phone, receive your free! $10 Prepaid Calling Card and be making calls immediately.""The two phones we'll be offering for sale at Shell are the Nokia 2126 which stores 250 contacts, has 4.6 hours of talk time and includes a flashlight, alarm, voice memo feature as well as games for the low price of $83," Mickelson said.