- Plan in place to respond quickly to access requests for
communications support structures
- Partners and suppliers mobilized to drive the rollout of
Internet access throughout Québec
MONTRÉAL, March 18, 2021 /CNW
Telbec/ - Underscoring Bell's commitment to accelerate the
deployment of high-speed Internet access to everyone in Québec by
September 2022, and anticipating an
increase in the volume of access requests in coming months, Bell
today announced it is fully prepared to respond quickly to service
providers seeking access to poles and other communications support
structures.
By establishing common priorities and working closely with
partners like Hydro-Québec and suppliers including engineering
firms specializing in aerial structures, the measures Bell is
implementing have already significantly accelerated the issuance of
permits for many service providers and sped up deployment of
several key projects.
"Bell has put everything in place to enable Internet service
providers to connect as many Quebecers as possible to high-speed
Internet as quickly as possible," said Karine Moses, Bell's
Vice Chair, Québec. "I am very proud of the Bell team's
collaboration with Hydro-Québec and our other partners to build a
task force to meet the expected demand for access in the coming
months. This is a huge project for Québec and Bell is ready to make
a very significant contribution to its success."
Over the past year, Bell has deployed an action plan to simplify
access to support infrastructure for telecommunications providers
in Québec, particularly those receiving government subsidies to
bring high-speed Internet to underserved or unserved populations,
including:
- Co-creation of a coordination table with Bell, Hydro-Québec,
Telus, and the Ministry of Economic Development, Innovation and
Export Trade, with a primary objective to ensure faster access to
poles for all service providers while ensuring compliance with all
safety standards.
- New measures to simplify common engineering standards,
streamlining the process for pole access requests.
- Changes to the permit evaluation process allowing licensees to
carry out their own structural surveys and work once their
engineers have confirmed that safety standards are met. The vast
majority of licensees are using the new process and benefiting from
accelerated treatment of their requests.
- Creation of a Centre of Excellence to share best practices with
service providers, improve communications through a dedicated
technical and decision-making resource person assigned to projects,
and provide a toll-free 1-800 line for assistance.
"The measures put in place by Bell as well as our discussions
with all the partners have allowed for major progress over the last
few months in order to reduce the delays in obtaining
authorizations to install on Bell structures," said Robert Desmarais, General Manager of the
Brome-Missisquoi Regional County Municipality and Local Development
Centre. "Thanks to this increased collaboration, the
Brome-Missisquoi rural territory will be one of the first to be
fully covered with fibre optics in Québec within a year."
About Bell
Founded in Montréal in 1880, Bell is
Canada's largest communications company with more than 22 million
residential, business and wireless customer connections across
every province and territory. With a goal to advance how Canadians
connect with each other and the world, Bell provides the most
extensive broadband wireless and wireline networks, innovative
mobile, TV, Internet and business communication services, and the
country's premier television, radio, out of home and digital media
brands. Bell is wholly owned by BCE Inc. (TSX, NYSE: BCE). To learn
more, please visit Bell.ca or BCE.ca.
Media inquiries:
Caroline Audet
514-391-9794
caroline.audet@bell.ca
@Bell_news
Investor inquiries:
Thane Fotopoulos
514-870-4619
thane.fotopoulos@bell.ca
SOURCE Bell Canada