CALGARY, Sept. 4, 2018 /CNW Telbec/ - BCE Inc.
(Bell) (TSX: BCE) (NYSE: BCE) today announced it has completed
its acquisition of Axia NetMedia Corporation, the Calgary-based operator of SuperNet, the
Alberta broadband network
connecting thousands of provincial and municipal offices,
Indigenous communities, schools, libraries, healthcare
institutions, businesses and Internet service providers throughout
the province.
"Bell welcomes the Axia team as we move forward together in
executing our new multi-year SuperNet partnership with the
Government of Alberta," said
Dan McKeen, Bell's Vice Chair,
Western Canada. "The integration
of Axia's seasoned Alberta team
with Bell's national scale and established SuperNet assets across
the province enables both the seamless delivery of SuperNet
services and accelerated innovation opportunities for broadband
users throughout Alberta."
In addition to the contract to supply all SuperNet services,
Bell now owns and operates Axia network assets connecting a total
of 402 rural Alberta communities,
along with the 27 urban areas already connected to SuperNet by
Bell. The acquisition also creates new opportunities to provide
advanced Bell Business Markets (BBM) solutions in Security, Data
Centres and Unified Communications to Alberta-based and national enterprise
customers and Internet service providers in the province.
The integrated Bell-Axia team will be led by Dan McKeen, Bell's Vice Chair, Western Canada, and Ryan Klassen, who will be responsible for all
day-to-day operations in the newly created role of Vice President,
Business Solutions and Axia Group.
Launched in 2005, SuperNet was built to deliver broadband
network connectivity for Alberta
government and public organizations, business users and Internet
providers offering service directly to customers throughout the
province. The network now connects more than 1,900 schools and
other learning centres, 650 government locations, 250 healthcare
facilities, 300 libraries and 80 Alberta municipalities. Currently,
43 First Nations in the Treaty 6, 7 and 8 regions and 8 Métis
settlements have SuperNet connectivity within or adjacent to their
communities.
About Bell
Founded in 1880, Bell is the country's
oldest and largest telecommunications provider and continues to
lead the way in Canadian communications with a strategy of
unparalleled investment in broadband network and service
innovation.
Bell invests more than $4 billion
each year in Canada's next-generation network infrastructure,
delivering world-class fibre connections to the home and business,
Canada's Best National Mobile Network, and the country's largest
network of 28 state-of-the-art data hosting and cloud computing
centres. 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 provides significant Bell funding of mental health
care and access, research and workplace leadership initiatives. To
learn more, please visit Bell.ca/LetsTalk.
Media inquiries
Michelle Gazze
204-941-8341
michelle.gazze@bellmts.ca
@Bell_News
Investor inquiries
Thane Fotopoulos
514-870-4619
thane.fotopoulos@bell.ca
SOURCE Bell Canada