- $500,000 fund supports the Bell
MTS Innovations in Agriculture Program
- Student-driven development of broadband Internet of Things
(IoT) solutions to support growth in the essential agriculture and
agri-food sector of the economy
WINNIPEG, May 30, 2017 /CNW/ - Bell MTS today
announced a $500,000 contribution to
the University of Manitoba's Front and
Centre campaign to launch a visionary new initiative: the Bell MTS
Innovations in Agriculture Program, providing students at one of
Canada's leading post-secondary institutions with opportunities to
develop Internet of Things (IoT) technologies for application in
agriculture and food services.
"As the Canadian leader in communications network and service
innovation, Bell MTS fully appreciates the vital contributions our
country's top schools are making to technology design and
development," said Stephen Howe,
Bell's Chief Technology Officer and Executive Vice President.
"We're very pleased to work with the University of Manitoba to create this opportunity
for students and faculty to develop new and better IoT solutions
for a sector that is a mainstay of Manitoba's economy and important to all
Canadians."
Enabling broadband access to real-time operational data of all
kinds, IoT applications can help improve the production of food
resources through managing the location and performance of farm
machinery, remote analysis of soil samples, field conditions,
seeding rate and crop health, and monitoring of storage and
processing operations.
"The University of Manitoba thanks
Bell MTS for their support in providing our students with exciting
new opportunities to develop and apply leading-edge technology
solutions relevant to the agri-food sector," said Karin Wittenberg, Dean of the Faculty of
Agricultural and Food Sciences. "Working on IoT solutions within
the agriculture, food and nutrition sectors not only offers our
students a unique skills development opportunity that will support
their future career opportunities, it is critical to the
advancement of our agriculture and food economy. It's a perfect
match and we are thankful for this visionary gift."
The University of Manitoba is one of
Canada's top research institutions and the school's Faculty of
Agricultural and Food Sciences delivers specialized training each
year to over 1,200 students representing the next generation of
leaders in agriculture, food and nutrition.
Agriculture plays a key role in Manitoba's economy. Agricultural production
represents an estimated 5 per cent of Manitoba's gross domestic product (GDP) and
the sector accounts for an estimated 33,000 jobs in the
province.
The $500,000 in funding from Bell
MTS will advance student, faculty and public understanding of the
potential for advanced communications in agriculture with
mentorships, research funding, and access to new co-operative
education opportunities.
IoT refers to the real-time exchange of data between physical
things. By connecting the physical world through fibre and wireless
broadband networks using sensors and other measuring and
operational devices, IoT is transforming the way we live and
work.
Bell is helping Canadian businesses of all kinds transform with
a range of IoT solutions, including top-ranked wireless and fibre
networks, hardware, data hosting and applications, which together
can enhance performance measurement, operational efficiency and
overall productivity while creating new revenue-generating
opportunities.
Bell invests almost $4 billion
every year in network infrastructure expansion and research and
development, more than any other communications service provider in
Canada. In 2016, Bell partnered
with Nokia on the first Canadian trial of fifth generation (5G)
wireless technology, and in April announced the first LTE wireless
network in North America capable
of delivering Quad Band LTE Advanced (LTE-A) service, offering
customers access to mobile data speeds of up to 750 Megabits per
second, the fastest available.
Today's Bell MTS donation supports a pillar of Front and Centre,
the campaign for the University of
Manitoba. With a fundraising goal of $500 million, this campaign is the largest
philanthropic investment in the history of the province.
Outstanding student experience has been identified as a priority
that will ensure Manitoba's
long-term economic, social, and cultural vitality.
About the University of
Manitoba
Founded 140 years ago and located in the
heart of Canada, the University of
Manitoba is the region's largest and only research intensive
university, offering over 100 academic programs to almost 30,000
students. The University stimulates over $1.8 billion in economic activity in Manitoba, and is a leader in the province's
knowledge economy. Students, faculty and staff are recognized
globally for their academic achievements, leading-edge research,
teaching and innovation.
About Bell
Founded 137 years ago, Bell is Canada's
largest communications company, providing broadband wireless, TV,
Internet and business communication services from Bell Canada, Bell Aliant and Bell MTS. Bell
Media is Canada's premier multimedia company with leading assets in
television, radio, out of home and digital media. To learn more,
please visit Bell.ca or BCE.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:
Jeremy Sawatzky
Bell MTS
jeremy.sawatzky@bellmts.ca
204-391-2849
Sean Moore
U of M
sean_moore@umanitoba.ca
204-474-7963
SOURCE Bell Canada