Alberta Government Telephones

Alberta Government Telephones (AGT) (formally the Alberta Government Telephones Commission) was formed by the Liberal government of Alexander Cameron Rutherford in 1906Wilson, Kevin G., " [http://books.google.com/books?id=QDiH0zLUamIC&pg=PA35&lpg=PA35&dq=alberta+government+telephones&source=web&ots=xzyqQXwsOu&sig=wd_uShccGmt-uaIYsLdCNP-4c9M Deregulating Telecommunications: U.S. and Canadian Telecommunications, 1840-1997] ", Rowman & Littlefield (2000) ISBN 0847698254 page 35] following the acquisitions by the government of several independent telephone companies. In 1908, AGT acquired the Bell Telephone Company's Alberta operations.Alberta Online Encyclopedia, [http://www.abheritage.ca/telephone/era/agt.html "Alberta Government Telephones"] "Alberta's Telephone Heritage"] [http://about.telus.com/careers/history.html Telus Company History] , Telus corporate website, accessed February 11, 2008]

Alberta Government Telephones was directly managed by the province's Department of Public Works as a public utility until 1958 when it was transformed into a crown corporation, formally becoming the Alberta Government Telephones Commission. For several decades, from 1945 until 1960, AGT operated the province's educational radio station, CKUA. [ [http://www.broadcasting-history.ca/listings_and_histories/radio/listings.php?pt=130&r=59#CKUA-AM CKUA History] , Canadian Communications Foundation]

In 1990, Telus Communications was established as a holding company for AGT in order to facilitate its privatization. In 1991, the province of Alberta sold its remaining ownership interest in AGT to Telus for $870 million. Telus acquired Ed Tel from the city of Edmonton in 1995 and in 1996 the AGT and Ed Tel brandings were retired in favour of the Telus name. Telus merged with BCTel in 1999 to form the current Telus Corporation.

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