The Globe and Mail reports in its Friday edition that BCE booked profit of $707-million or 82 cents a share in the first quarter, up nearly 33 per cent from $532-million or 63 cents in the first quarter of 2015. The Globe's James Bradshaw writes that the improved results were due mostly to lower severance and other costs; BCE recorded a $137-million charge from litigation over satellite TV piracy in last year's first quarter. Revenue was $5.27-billion, up 0.6 per cent from $5.24-billion a year ago, but still shy of the consensus estimates. BCE also reaffirmed guidance for 2016. On Thursday, company executives made repeated references to aggressive efforts to control costs, which have included substantial job cuts. At the same time, the company is investing $1-billion in broadband fibre to roll out Internet download speeds of up to one gigabyte per second to three million homes in Ontario, Quebec and Atlantic Canada. Bell also added nearly 48,000 net customers to its Fibe TV service in the first quarter, as viewers continue to move away from satellite TV, where Bell lost nearly 38,000 net subscribers. Net Internet additions were lower than expected, at about 20,000. BCE closed at $58.83, up 63 cents.