- Continuous wireless coverage along Highway 6 up to Thompson
- Wireless, wireline broadband enhancements for 5 indigenous
communities
- Enhanced broadband service for Flin
Flon
THOMPSON, MB, July 7, 2016 /CNW/ - BCE Inc. (Bell) (TSX, NYSE:
BCE) and Manitoba Telecom Services Inc. (MTS) (TSX: MBT) today
announced 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 5 years to accelerate broadband
communications services across Manitoba, this latest infrastructure project
focused on Northern Manitoba will
deliver:
- Full LTE and HSPA+ wireless coverage for the Highway 6 corridor
to Thompson, Manitoba's Hub of the
North, significantly improving safety and connectivity along this
important transportation route.
- New wireless and wireline broadband services for 5 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 VP
Network & 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, MLA 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+ 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 US border. This
project is similar to the Bell and MTS plan announced May 20 to complete wireless coverage along busy
Highway 75 in southern Manitoba
between Winnipeg and the US
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 5 Mbps.
Bell MTS: Better together, better for Manitobans
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 5-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.
Bell has been the leader in building the nation's communications
infrastructure for 136 years, providing Canada's most advanced
wireless and wireline networks and investing more in communications
services Research & Development than any other provider in the
country, more than $500 million each
year. Bell employs approximately 50,000 team members across every
province and territory of Canada.
Caution concerning forward-looking statements
This news release contains forward-looking statements and
information (collectively, the "forward-looking statements")
including, but not limited to those relating to a statutory plan of
arrangement under section 185 of The Corporations Act
(Manitoba), pursuant to which,
among other things, BCE intends to acquire all of the issued and
outstanding common shares of MTS (the Arrangement), the expected
timing of, and certain strategic, operational and financial
benefits expected to result from, the Arrangement, our network
deployment and capital investment plans in Manitoba, our business outlook, objectives,
plans and strategic priorities, information concerning MTS and BCE,
and other statements that are not historical facts.
Forward-looking statements are typically identified by the words
assumption, goal, guidance, objective,
outlook, project, strategy, target and
other similar expressions or future or conditional verbs such as
aim, anticipate, believe, could,
expect, intend, may, plan, seek,
should, strive and will. All such
forward-looking statements are made pursuant to the "safe harbour"
provisions of applicable Canadian securities laws and of the
United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of
1995.
Forward-looking statements, by their very nature, are subject to
inherent risks and uncertainties and are based on several
assumptions, both general and specific, which give rise to the
possibility that actual results or events could differ materially
from our expectations expressed in or implied by such
forward-looking statements. As a result, we cannot guarantee that
any forward-looking statement will materialize and we caution you
against relying on any of these forward-looking statements. The
forward-looking statements contained in this news release describe
our expectations at the date of this news release and, accordingly,
are subject to change after such date. Except as may be required by
Canadian securities laws, we do not undertake any obligation to
update or revise any forward-looking statements contained in this
news release, whether as a result of new information, future events
or otherwise. Forward-looking statements are provided herein for
the purpose of giving information about the Arrangement and its
expected impact, including our network deployment and capital
investment plans in Manitoba.
Readers are cautioned that such information may not be appropriate
for other purposes.
Completion and timing of the Arrangement are subject to a number
of conditions precedent and termination rights, some of which are
outside MTS' and BCE's control, including, without limitation,
receipt of the required regulatory approvals, the operation and
performance of the MTS business in the ordinary course until
closing of the Arrangement, the absence of a material adverse
effect, including no award being in force, which would result in a
material adverse effect and no action being pending or threatened
(other than frivolous or vexatious actions) against or involving
MTS or its subsidiaries that, if decided against MTS or its
subsidiaries, would result in a material adverse effect, and
compliance by MTS with various other covenants contained in the
arrangement agreement between MTS and BCE dated May 1, 2016, all of which are subject to
important risks, uncertainties and assumptions. There can be no
certainty, nor can MTS or BCE provide any assurance, that all
conditions precedent to the Arrangement will be satisfied or waived
and that the Arrangement will occur, or, if satisfied or waived,
when they will be satisfied or waived. If the Arrangement is not
completed, the market price of MTS' common shares may be materially
adversely affected. Moreover, a substantial delay in obtaining the
required regulatory approvals or the presence of an award or action
that would result in a material adverse effect could result in a
prolonged extension of the outside closing date. The Arrangement
could be modified, restructured or terminated. There can also be no
assurance that the strategic, operational or financial benefits
expected to result from the proposed transaction, as well as our
network deployment and capital investment plans in Manitoba, will be realized.
For additional information on assumptions and risks underlying
certain forward-looking statements made in this news release
relating, in particular, to our network deployment and investment
plans, please consult BCE's 2015 Annual MD&A dated March 3, 2016 (included in the BCE 2015 Annual
Report) and BCE's 2016 First Quarter MD&A dated April 27, 2016, filed by BCE with the Canadian
provincial securities regulatory authorities (available at
Sedar.com) and with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission
(available at SEC.gov). These documents are also available at
BCE.ca.
About MTS
At MTS, we're proud to be Manitoba's leading information and
communications technology provider. We're dedicated to delivering a
full suite of services for Manitobans – Internet, Wireless, TV,
Phone Service and Security Systems plus a full suite of Information
Solutions, including Unified Cloud and Managed Services.
We live where we work and actively give back to organizations
that strengthen our communities. Through MTS Future First, we
provide sponsorships, grants and scholarships, value-in-kind
support and volunteer commitment in Manitoba.
MTS Inc. is wholly owned by Manitoba Telecom Services Inc. (TSX:
MBT). For more on MTS' products and services, visit mts.ca. For
investor information, visit mts.ca/aboutus.
About Bell
Canada's largest communications company,
Bell provides consumer, business and government customers with a
comprehensive and innovative suite of broadband wireless, TV,
Internet and business communication services from Bell Canada and Bell Aliant. Bell Media is
Canada's premier multimedia company with leading assets in
television, radio, out of home and digital media. Founded in
Montréal in 1880, Bell is wholly owned by BCE Inc. (TSX, NYSE:
BCE). To learn more, please visit BCE.ca or Bell.ca.
The Bell Let's Talk initiative promotes Canadian mental health
with national awareness and anti-stigma campaigns like Bell Let's
Talk Day and significant Bell funding of community care and access,
research, and workplace initiatives. To learn more, please visit
Bell.ca/LetsTalk.
Media inquiries:
Bell
Michelle Michalak
416-215-3021
michelle.michalak@bell.ca
MTS
Jeremy Sawatzky
204-958-3230
media.relations@mts.ca
Investor inquiries:
BCE
Thane Fotopoulos
514-870-4619
thane.fotopoulos@bell.ca
MTS
Brenda McInnes
204-941-6205
investor.relations@mts.ca
SOURCE Bell Canada