The brand new AI manufacturing unit from Telus is supported by Nvidia GPUs and infrastructure designed by HPE
In sum – what to know:
Canada’s first sovereign AI manufacturing unit – TELUS has launched a safe, Canadian-operated facility to offer home compute capability for AI workloads whereas sustaining knowledge sovereignty.
Backed by Nvidia and HPE tech – The ability makes use of high-performance GPUs and structure to assist mannequin coaching, fine-tuning, and deployment, lowering AI rollout time and prices.
Early adopters span healthcare and enterprise – Accenture and OpenText will leverage the platform to run AI options in delicate sectors whereas making certain knowledge stays inside Canada.
Canadian operator Telus has opened what it claims to be Canada’s first totally sovereign AI manufacturing unit in Rimouski, Quebec, making a home hub for superior computing capability.
In a launch, the telco famous that the power, powered by Nvidia GPUs and infrastructure designed by HPE, will present Canadian organizations with entry to AI computing sources whereas making certain knowledge stays inside nationwide borders.
The venture is designed to handle rising issues over knowledge sovereignty by preserving delicate info below Canadian management. Telus stated the power is constructed, owned, and operated in Canada, with a number of layers of safety and compliance.
Darren Entwistle, president and CEO of Telus, stated: “Companies, researchers, and governments mustn’t need to depend on foreign-controlled techniques to advance their AI ambitions. Right this moment, we’re serving to to attain that: by delivering superior compute energy inside knowledge facilities constructed, owned, and operated by Canadians.”
The telco additionally famous that the brand new web site is already operational and serving prospects. A second location in Kamloops, British Columbia, is deliberate as a part of a broader nationwide rollout. Telus stated the AI manufacturing unit permits organizations to coach new AI fashions, fine-tune current ones, and deploy them throughout purposes, with assist from Nvidia’s software program stack and high-performance structure.
“Increasing knowledge and compute capability right here at house helps the federal government’s imaginative and prescient for AI-driven productiveness and competitiveness,” stated Evan Solomon, minister of synthetic intelligence and digital innovation.
A number of organizations have already signed on to make use of the brand new platform. Accenture will deploy sector-specific AI options for regulated industries, whereas OpenText will use the platform to ship enterprise AI providers via its Aviator platform to Canadian prospects.
Telus additionally highlighted that the power is powered by 99% renewable power and reduces water use by greater than 75% due to pure cooling techniques.
Earlier this 12 months, Bell Canada and Cohere, a Toronto-based enterprise AI firm, had introduced a strategic partnership to offer sovereign, end-to-end AI providers for presidency and enterprise shoppers throughout Canada.
The companions famous that the collaboration additionally consists of deploying Cohere’s agentic AI platform North inside Bell’s operations.
Beneath the phrases of the settlement, Cohere will supply its enterprise-grade AI capabilities via the Bell AI Cloth, giving Canadian prospects entry to personalized, superior massive language fashions (LLMs) and purposes that meet sovereignty and safety requirements.
