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property, plant and equipment (Details) - CAD ($) $ in Millions | 12 Months Ended
--- | ---
Dec. 31, 2020 | Dec. 31, 2019
property, plant and equipment |  |
Property, plant and equipment at beginning of period | $ 14,232 |
Depreciation | 2,107 | $ 1,929
Property, plant and equipment at end of period | 15,014 | 14,232
Additions in respect of asset retirement obligations | 157 | 153
Contractual commitments for the acquisition of property, plant and equipment | 235 | 136
Owned assets |  |
property, plant and equipment |  |
Property, plant and equipment at beginning of period | 12,882 |
Property, plant and equipment at end of period | 13,379 | 12,882
Owned assets | Network assets |  |
property, plant and equipment |  |
Property, plant and equipment at beginning of period | 10,653 |
Property, plant and equipment at end of period | 10,852 | 10,653
Owned assets | Buildings and leasehold improvements |  |
property, plant and equipment |  |
Property, plant and equipment at beginning of period | 1,262 |
Property, plant and equipment at end of period | 1,319 | 1,262
Owned assets | Computer hardware and other |  |
property, plant and equipment |  |
Property, plant and equipment at beginning of period | 498 |
Property, plant and equipment at end of period | 514 | 498
Owned assets | Land |  |
property, plant and equipment |  |
Property, plant and equipment at beginning of period | 48 |
Property, plant and equipment at end of period | 54 | 48
Owned assets | Assets under construction |  |
property, plant and equipment |  |
Property, plant and equipment at beginning of period | 421 |
Property, plant and equipment at end of period | 640 | 421
Right-of-use lease assets |  |
property, plant and equipment |  |
Property, plant and equipment at beginning of period | 1,350 |
Property, plant and equipment at end of period | 1,635 | 1,350
Right-of-use lease assets | Network assets |  |
property, plant and equipment |  |
Property, plant and equipment at beginning of period | 213 |
Property, plant and equipment at end of period | 456 | 213
Right-of-use lease assets | Real estate |  |
property, plant and equipment |  |
Property, plant and equipment at beginning of period | 1,093 |
Property, plant and equipment at end of period | 1,124 | 1,093
Impairment of assets | 23 | 5
Right-of-use lease assets | Other |  |
property, plant and equipment |  |
Property, plant and equipment at beginning of period | 44 |
Property, plant and equipment at end of period | 55 | 44
Cost/Gross amount |  |
property, plant and equipment |  |
Property, plant and equipment at beginning of period | 38,415 | 36,271
Additions | 2,829 | 2,925
Additions arising from business acquisitions | 118 | 165
Dispositions, retirements and other | (783) | (934)
Net foreign exchange differences | 5 | (12)
Property, plant and equipment at end of period | 40,584 | 38,415
Cost/Gross amount | Owned assets |  |
property, plant and equipment |  |
Property, plant and equipment at beginning of period | 36,869 | 35,128
Additions | 2,299 | 2,416
Additions arising from business acquisitions | 38 | 142
Dispositions, retirements and other | (709) | (817)
Property, plant and equipment at end of period | 38,497 | 36,869
Cost/Gross amount | Owned assets | Network assets |  |
property, plant and equipment |  |
Property, plant and equipment at beginning of period | 31,713 | 29,855
Additions | 998 | 1,073
Additions arising from business acquisitions | 4 | 127
Dispositions, retirements and other | (497) | (644)
Assets under construction put into service | 752 | 1,302
Net foreign exchange differences | 2 |
Property, plant and equipment at end of period | 32,972 | 31,713
Cost/Gross amount | Owned assets | Buildings and leasehold improvements |  |
property, plant and equipment |  |
Property, plant and equipment at beginning of period | 3,314 | 3,273
Additions | 43 | 42
Additions arising from business acquisitions | 22 | 3
Dispositions, retirements and other | (70) | (125)
Assets under construction put into service | 119 | 121
Property, plant and equipment at end of period | 3,428 | 3,314
Cost/Gross amount | Owned assets | Computer hardware and other |  |
property, plant and equipment |  |
Property, plant and equipment at beginning of period | 1,373 | 1,173
Additions | 62 | 84
Additions arising from business acquisitions | 12 | 12
Dispositions, retirements and other | (142) | (48)
Assets under construction put into service | 100 | 152
Net foreign exchange differences | (2) |
Property, plant and equipment at end of period | 1,403 | 1,373
Cost/Gross amount | Owned assets | Land |  |
property, plant and equipment |  |
Property, plant and equipment at beginning of period | 48 | 48
Additions | 5 |
Assets under construction put into service | 1 |
Property, plant and equipment at end of period | 54 | 48
Cost/Gross amount | Owned assets | Assets under construction |  |
property, plant and equipment |  |
Property, plant and equipment at beginning of period | 421 | 779
Additions | 1,191 | 1,217
Assets under construction put into service | (972) | (1,575)
Property, plant and equipment at end of period | 640 | 421
Cost/Gross amount | Right-of-use lease assets |  |
property, plant and equipment |  |
Property, plant and equipment at beginning of period | 1,546 | 1,143
Additions | 530 | 509
Additions arising from business acquisitions | 80 | 23
Dispositions, retirements and other | (74) | (117)
Net foreign exchange differences | 5 | (12)
Property, plant and equipment at end of period | 2,087 | 1,546
Cost/Gross amount | Right-of-use lease assets | Network assets |  |
property, plant and equipment |  |
Property, plant and equipment at beginning of period | 219 | 101
Additions | 282 | 219
Dispositions, retirements and other | (2) | (101)
Property, plant and equipment at end of period | 499 | 219
Cost/Gross amount | Right-of-use lease assets | Real estate |  |
property, plant and equipment |  |
Property, plant and equipment at beginning of period | 1,267 | 1,011
Additions | 224 | 274
Additions arising from business acquisitions | 74 | 12
Dispositions, retirements and other | (64) | (18)
Net foreign exchange differences | 5 | (12)
Property, plant and equipment at end of period | 1,506 | 1,267
Cost/Gross amount | Right-of-use lease assets | Other |  |
property, plant and equipment |  |
Property, plant and equipment at beginning of period | 60 | 31
Additions | 24 | 16
Additions arising from business acquisitions | 6 | 11
Dispositions, retirements and other | (8) | 2
Property, plant and equipment at end of period | 82 | 60
Accumulated depreciation |  |
property, plant and equipment |  |
Property, plant and equipment at beginning of period | (24,183) | (23,139)
Depreciation | 2,107 | 1,929
Dispositions, retirements and other | 723 | 885
Net foreign exchange differences | 3 |
Property, plant and equipment at end of period | (25,570) | (24,183)
Accumulated depreciation | Owned assets |  |
property, plant and equipment |  |
Property, plant and equipment at beginning of period | (23,987) | (23,138)
Depreciation | 1,832 | 1,728
Dispositions, retirements and other | 701 | 879
Property, plant and equipment at end of period | (25,118) | (23,987)
Accumulated depreciation | Owned assets | Network assets |  |
property, plant and equipment |  |
Property, plant and equipment at beginning of period | (21,060) | (20,299)
Depreciation | 1,547 | 1,473
Dispositions, retirements and other | 489 | 712
Net foreign exchange differences | 2 |
Property, plant and equipment at end of period | (22,120) | (21,060)
Accumulated depreciation | Owned assets | Buildings and leasehold improvements |  |
property, plant and equipment |  |
Property, plant and equipment at beginning of period | (2,052) | (2,050)
Depreciation | 127 | 120
Dispositions, retirements and other | 70 | 118
Property, plant and equipment at end of period | (2,109) | (2,052)
Accumulated depreciation | Owned assets | Computer hardware and other |  |
property, plant and equipment |  |
Property, plant and equipment at beginning of period | (875) | (789)
Depreciation | 158 | 135
Dispositions, retirements and other | 142 | 49
Net foreign exchange differences | (2) |
Property, plant and equipment at end of period | (889) | (875)
Accumulated depreciation | Right-of-use lease assets |  |
property, plant and equipment |  |
Property, plant and equipment at beginning of period | (196) | (1)
Depreciation | 275 | 201
Dispositions, retirements and other | 22 | 6
Net foreign exchange differences | 3 |
Property, plant and equipment at end of period | (452) | (196)
Accumulated depreciation | Right-of-use lease assets | Network assets |  |
property, plant and equipment |  |
Property, plant and equipment at beginning of period | (6) | (1)
Depreciation | 37 | 13
Dispositions, retirements and other |  | 8
Property, plant and equipment at end of period | (43) | (6)
Accumulated depreciation | Right-of-use lease assets | Real estate |  |
property, plant and equipment |  |
Property, plant and equipment at beginning of period | (174) |
Depreciation | 221 | 177
Dispositions, retirements and other | 16 | 3
Net foreign exchange differences | 3 |
Property, plant and equipment at end of period | (382) | (174)
Accumulated depreciation | Right-of-use lease assets | Other |  |
property, plant and equipment |  |
Property, plant and equipment at beginning of period | (16) |
Depreciation | 17 | 11
Dispositions, retirements and other | 6 | (5)
Property, plant and equipment at end of period | $ (27) | $ (16)

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- Definition The amount of depreciation of property, plant and equipment. [Refer: Depreciation and amortisation expense; Property, plant and equipment] + References Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef -Name IAS -Number 16 -IssueDate 2020-01-01 -Paragraph 73 -Subparagraph e -Clause vii -URI http://eifrs.ifrs.org/eifrs/xifrs-link?type=IAS&num=16&code=ifrs-tx-2020-en-r&anchor=para_73_e_vii&doctype=Standard -URIDate 2020-01-01 Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef -Name IAS -Number 16 -IssueDate 2020-01-01 -Paragraph 75 -Subparagraph a -URI http://eifrs.ifrs.org/eifrs/xifrs-link?type=IAS&num=16&code=ifrs-tx-2020-en-r&anchor=para_75_a&doctype=Standard -URIDate 2020-01-01 + Details
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- Definition The increase (decrease) in property, plant and equipment resulting from net exchange differences arising on the translation of the financial statements from the functional currency into a different presentation currency, including the translation of a foreign operation into the presentation currency of the reporting entity. [Refer: Property, plant and equipment] + References Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef -Name IAS -Number 16 -IssueDate 2020-01-01 -Paragraph 73 -Subparagraph e -Clause viii -URI http://eifrs.ifrs.org/eifrs/xifrs-link?type=IAS&num=16&code=ifrs-tx-2020-en-r&anchor=para_73_e_viii&doctype=Standard -URIDate 2020-01-01 + Details
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- Definition The amount of tangible assets that: (a) are held for use in the production or supply of goods or services, for rental to others, or for administrative purposes; and (b) are expected to be used during more than one period. + References Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef -Name IAS -Number 16 -IssueDate 2020-01-01 -Paragraph 73 -Subparagraph e -URI http://eifrs.ifrs.org/eifrs/xifrs-link?type=IAS&num=16&code=ifrs-tx-2020-en-r&anchor=para_73_e&doctype=Standard -URIDate 2020-01-01 Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef -Name IAS -Number 1 -IssueDate 2020-01-01 -Paragraph 54 -Subparagraph a -URI http://eifrs.ifrs.org/eifrs/xifrs-link?type=IAS&num=1&code=ifrs-tx-2020-en-r&anchor=para_54_a&doctype=Standard -URIDate 2020-01-01 + Details
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