Mr. Wade Oosterman of BCE reports

BELL AND MTS TO EXPAND BROADBAND SERVICE IN NORTHERN MANITOBA

BCE Inc. (Bell) and Manitoba Telecom Services Inc. have provided extensive plans for the expansion of mobile and wireline broadband communications networks in Northern Manitoba.

Another component of the Bell MTS plan to invest $1-billion over five years to accelerate broadband communications services across Manitoba, this latest infrastructure project focused on Northern Manitoba will deliver:

• Full LTE and HSPA-plus wireless coverage for the Highway 6 corridor to Thompson's hub of the north, significantly improving safety and connectivity along this important transportation route;
• New wireless and wireline broadband services for five indigenous communities: Easterville, Gods Lake Narrows, Gods River, Grand Rapids and Red Sucker Lake;
• Enhanced broadband service for key mining centre Flin Flon.

"The creation of Bell MTS will deliver the benefits of Bell's transformational broadband investment strategy to Manitobans throughout the province. That includes enabling small and remote communities to fully engage in the digital economy and the economic growth ahead for Manitoba," said Wade Oosterman, Bell Group president and chief brand officer. "The billion-dollar Bell MTS investment plan will place Manitoba at the forefront of Canadian broadband communications with innovative new services and enhanced coverage for small communities, key traffic corridors and big cities alike."

"The Bell MTS broadband service improvements unveiled today will be the largest capital investment in wireless and wireline networks in Northern Manitoba in many years," said Pat Solman, senior vice-president of network and field services for MTS. "This announcement is another example of how critical Bell's scale, resources and experience are to ensuring Manitobans everywhere can benefit from the economic and social opportunities offered by investment in state-of-the-art broadband communications."

"The Bell MTS investment in wireless and broadband services will bring immense improvements to communication across much of Northern Manitoba," said Kelly Bindle, member of the legislative assembly for the constituency of Thompson. "This infrastructure upgrade and network expansion are extremely important for business, social services, recreation and safety in larger centres, as well as in remote communities and isolated areas throughout the region. Manitobans in all the affected areas will benefit greatly through this investment."

By completing LTE and HSPA-plus wireless coverage along Highway 6, Bell MTS will greatly enhance connectivity and safety along this key 860-kilometre economic corridor from the city of Thompson to the U.S. border. This project is similar to the Bell and MTS plan announced on May 20 to complete wireless coverage along busy Highway 75 in Southern Manitoba between Winnipeg and the U.S. border.

Bell MTS will also expand wireless and wireline broadband service in several remote indigenous communities in Northern Manitoba. This includes enhancements in Easterville and Grand Rapids, and all-new broadband wireless for the East Lake Winnipeg communities of Gods Lake Narrows, Gods River and Red Sucker Lake.

Wireline network improvements in the city of Flin Flon, the important mining centre on Manitoba's border with Saskatchewan, will significantly boost Internet speeds from the current maximum of five megabits per second.

On May 2, Bell announced the acquisition of MTS in a transaction valued at approximately $3.9-billion. At the same time, it also announced a five-year, $1-billion commitment to expand broadband wireless and fibre services in Manitoba following the closing of the MTS acquisition, expected in late 2016 or early 2017.

The $1-billion Bell MTS investment plan for Manitoba includes:

• Gigabit Fibe Internet service, with average Internet speeds up to 20 times faster than those currently offered to MTS customers;
• Fibe TV, Bell's fast-growing broadband television service that is the North American leader in video innovation;
• Accelerated expansion of Bell's award-winning LTE wireless network, offering average data speeds twice as fast as those currently available to MTS customers;
• Integration of the MTS Winnipeg data centre into Bell's leading national network of data-hosting and cloud centres connected by Canada's most extensive broadband fibre footprint.

Following Bell's acquisition of MTS, the combined company's Manitoba operations will be known as Bell MTS. Winnipeg will become headquarters for Bell's entire Western Canada team, which will grow to 6,900 people in Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta and British Columbia with the addition of MTS's 2,700 Manitoba employees.

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