- CRTC tests show Bell's fibre to the home Fibe Internet service
leads Canadian Internet providers in delivering better than
advertised download speeds
- Bell LTE wireless network ranked fastest across Canada by both
Speedtest and PCMag – double the average in the Toronto market, and twice as fast as the
top-ranked US carrier
MONTRÉAL, Sept. 29, 2016 /CNW
Telbec/ - Consumers are receiving the highest quality broadband
Internet service in Canada from
Bell's all-fibre broadband Fibe network, according to a new report
by the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission
(CRTC).
The CRTC report follows recent studies by Speedtest and PCMag
that rank Bell's mobile LTE network as the fastest across Canada,
and especially in the busy Toronto
market.
"Bell is focused on delivering the best broadband communications
experience possible to Canadians, enabling them to make the most of
the latest Internet, wireless and TV services. These independent
tests prove that Bell's strategy to lead investment and innovation
in broadband is delivering advanced networks that consistently
outperform in speed and reliability," said Wade Oosterman, Group President of BCE and
Bell Canada, and Bell's Chief
Brand Officer. "Canadians can be
justifiably proud that our country's broadband fibre and wireless
networks rank among the fastest and best in the world."
The CRTC report found that Bell's fibre to the home (FTTH) Fibe
service exceeds advertised download speeds by a greater margin than
any of the Internet providers tested across Canada, and that FTTH
services like Fibe offer the lowest levels of latency and packet
loss. Based on data collected by an international broadband
measurement company from more than 3,000 Canadian Internet users,
this is the second CRTC report released this year that highlights
the outstanding performance of FTTH broadband networks like Fibe
versus connections offered by cable companies.
"Spectacularly fast" mobile services
Bell's LTE wireless network was also ranked as Canada's fastest
once again in 2016 by 2 major independent analysts. Speedtest by
Ookla gathered data from nearly 800,000 mobile tests, and found
that Bell LTE delivered the fastest mobile data download speeds of
any provider across Canada, and is nearly twice as fast in
Toronto as the overall
average.
Testing by PCMag this summer also showed that Bell offers the
fastest maximum and average mobile download speeds in Canada and in the Toronto area, and that Bell LTE speeds were
twice as fast as the top-ranked US wireless carrier: "Spectacularly
fast, exceeding anything we've ever seen in our US results. Bell's
LTE is probably even faster than the Internet access you have at
home. It's truly a world-class 4G experience," PCMag said in its
report.
Continuous innovation at Bell
With capital
expenditures of more than $3.7
billion each year, Bell is Canada's leader in broadband
network investment and service innovation. Bell also invests over
$500 million each year in Canadian
R&D, significantly more than any other communications provider
in the country.
Bell is investing $1 billion more
in 2016 to bring FTTH Fibe and Gigabit Internet service to a total
of approximately 3 million homes and businesses in Atlantic Canada, Ontario and Québec by the end of the year. The
company is also rolling out new products to make the most of Fibe's
broadband capabilities, including the recently launched Home Hub
3000 modem/router. With 12 antennas, total throughput capability of
up to 1 Gigabit, reduced interference, and support for multiple
connected devices, it's the most powerful Wi-Fi modem/router in
Canada.
Bell's 4G LTE wireless network now reaches 97% of Canadians, and
more than 70% will have access to LTE-Advanced speeds, which
delivers data speeds of up to 335 Mbps (expected average 25 to 100
Mbps), by the end of this year.
In July, Bell announced that it had conducted the first ever
Canadian trials of 5G mobile technology in collaboration with
Nokia. Expected to be widely available within the next 5 to 7
years, 5G will provide even faster data speeds than current
networks and more capacity to meet the demands of mobile customers
for broadcast video and Internet of Things (IoT) applications,
including connected vehicles and city-wide IoT solutions. Bell is a
member of the Next Generation Mobile Networks consortium
(ngmn.org), the global body defining requirements for the
international 5G ecosystem.
About Bell
Bell is Canada's largest communications
company, providing consumers and business customers with wireless,
TV, Internet, home phone, small business and enterprise
communications services. Bell Media is Canada's premier multimedia
company with leading assets in television, radio, digital and out
of home media. Bell is wholly owned by Montréal's BCE Inc. (TSX,
NYSE: BCE). For more information, please visit 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:
Jacqueline Michelis
613 785-1427
jacqueline.michelis@bell.ca
Investor Inquiries:
Thane Fotopoulos
514 870-4619
thane.fotopoulos@bell.ca
SOURCE Bell Canada