Latest news with #BCEInc
Bloomberg
29-05-2025
- Business
- Bloomberg
Hydro for Data Centers Beats Gas From Alberta, Says Bell AI Boss
Oil and gas hub Alberta made a big pitch in 2024 to supply power for AI data centers. It didn't convince BCE Inc., which is setting up one of the first major systems in the country. 'I don't think it makes sense when we have such strong access to hydroelectricity in many provinces,' said Dan Rink, president of Bell AI Fabric, a new artificial intelligence data-center network announced Wednesday and a subsidiary of Canada's largest telecom company by revenue.
Yahoo
28-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Bell Canada (BCE) Unveils Plan for 6 AI Data Centers in British Columbia
On Wednesday, BCE Inc. (NYSE:BCE), also called Bell Canada, announced its plans to open 6 AI data centers in British Columbia/B.C., forming the initial supercluster of what is intended to be the largest AI compute project in Canada, known as Bell AI Fabric. These facilities are projected to provide ~500MW of hydroelectric-powered AI compute capacity. A long-distance telecommunications tower looming large against a dawn sky. The first 7-megawatt data center is slated to open next month in June in Kamloops, B.C., in partnership with American AI inference provider Groq. Groq's technology, specifically its Language Processing Units/LPUs, is designed to accelerate AI inference tasks for LLMs. A second facility is planned to open in Merritt, B.C., by the end of 2025. Further expansion includes an additional 26-megawatt data center, being built in partnership with Thompson Rivers University, which is scheduled to open by the end of 2026. Another facility of similar size is expected in 2027. Beyond these, two more AI data centers with a total capacity of more than 400 megawatts are in advanced planning stages, designed for high-density AI workloads. Bell also indicated that future facilities across the country will leverage its real estate assets to add further capacity, with plans for expansion into Manitoba and Québec. Mirko Bibic, President and CEO of Bell Canada and BCE, stated that Bell's AI Fabric will ensure Canadian businesses, researchers, and public institutions have access to "high-performance, sovereign and environmentally responsible AI computing services." BCE Inc. (NYSE:BCE) is a communications company that provides wireless, wireline, internet, streaming services, and TV services in Canada. While we acknowledge the potential of BCE to grow, our conviction lies in the belief that some AI stocks hold greater promise for delivering higher returns and have limited downside risk. If you are looking for an AI stock that is more promising than BCE and that has 100x upside potential, check out our report about the cheapest AI stock. READ NEXT: and . Disclosure: None. This article is originally published at Insider Monkey. Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Globe and Mail
28-05-2025
- Business
- Globe and Mail
Bell to open six data centres equipped to power AI models and apps in B.C.
Bell Canada said it will open six data centres in British Columbia equipped to power artificial intelligence models and applications, just a few years after it sold off a group of data facilities. The first of the data centres will come online in June in Kamloops, with the second opening in Merritt by the end of the year. Two more will open in the next two years, with one scheduled for 2026 at Thompson Rivers University. Two others are in the advanced planning stages, according to the company. Altogether, Bell said its data centres will have the capacity for up to 500 megawatts of electricity, a substantial load that has been secured. Upon completion, the facilities will make up the largest AI computing cluster in the country, according to the company. 'There's been a lot of talk about data centres being built, and visions and ambitions,' said Mirko Bibic, chief executive officer of parent company BCE Inc. BCE-T, in an interview. 'We've got the land, we've got the buildings, we've got the chips in there, we've got the power.' The computer processing needs of generative AI, which include applications such as ChatGPT, have created a surge in demand for data centres around the globe. The federal government last year announced a $2-billion spending package over five years to help Canadian companies and researchers access AI computing power, and to back the construction of new data centres. This infrastructure is necessary for Canadian companies, researchers and governments to build and run AI models, which can lead to productivity gains, economic benefits and scientific breakthroughs. Prime Minister Mark Carney highlighted the potential of AI in his recent mandate letter, and this month appointed Evan Solomon as the country's first Minister of AI and Digital Innovation. Having Canadian-owned and operated data centres for AI is also seen as a way to strengthen sovereignty and protect sensitive information. Many Canadian companies, governments and public institutions rely on storage, cloud computing and AI services from U.S. tech companies. As BCE spends on data centres, however, the company is dealing with more than $30-billion in long-term debt. Its stock price has fallen some 35 per cent in the past year and the company cut its dividend by more than half this month. Mr. Bibic said the company will spend a dollar amount in the low nine figures for its data centre rollout at first, but that number does not include all six facilities. He declined to provide further detail. The first few are on the small end in terms of power consumption – two are 7 MW and two more are 26 MW. The other two projects have the total capacity for more than 400 MW, which is substantial for Canada. Large data centre expansions can run into the billions of dollars, based on figures provided by other companies. 'It's a big investment in the scheme of AI in Canada, but we do invest over $3-billion a year,' Mr. Bibic said, referring to the telecom's capital expenditures. The company is not receiving federal funding through the AI infrastructure program, but Mr. Bibic said he is open to applying. 'It'd be wise for us to do,' he said. Telecoms have operated data centres before, in hopes of expanding into cloud computing and other services. But with lots of supply available, companies slashed their prices and struggled to compete. In 2020, BCE announced the sale of 25 of its data-centre facilities to U.S. company Equinix Inc. for just over $1-billion. 'There was no particular differentiation for Bell in that circumstance,' Mr. Bibic said. AI provides a different opportunity, he continued. Not only is there demand, but sovereignty, data protection and cybersecurity are increasingly important issues in Canada. 'You've got AI as a clear winner in terms of massive growth potential now and for the long-term, and we're extremely well-positioned to lean in,' he said, adding the company has a large existing enterprise business and that the revenue potential with AI is significant. BCE is not the only telecom looking to AI for growth. Telus Corp. said in March that it is equipping a facility it owns in Quebec to handle AI, and plans to later do the same in B.C. Alberta's government is trying to attract companies to build AI data centres, emphasizing the province's abundant natural gas reserves for electricity generation. But one of the advantages of B.C. is access to clean hydropower, along with fibre-optic connectivity. 'I won't dismiss the ambition, but what differentiates this is the fact that these are real [facilities], at-scale, backed by Bell and with low-cost sustainable energy,' Mr. Bibic said. Longer term, the company has the potential to expand its AI footprint in Manitoba and Quebec, which also rely on hydropower. The need for data centres depends on the pace of AI adoption, which some analysts say is uncertain. 'A lack of clarity about future demand makes precise investment calculations difficult,' McKinsey & Co. said in a recent report. 'Overinvesting in data centre infrastructure risks stranding assets, while underinvesting means falling behind.' Mr. Bibic said the company is 'methodical' about its expansion. The facility opening in June will be occupied by Groq Inc., a U.S. company that competes with chip maker Nvidia Corp. and offers hardware and software for running AI. Bell also partnered with Thompson Rivers University for the data centre opening next year, allowing students and faculty to train and run AI models. 'We are securing demand and building at the same time,' Mr. Bibic said. 'It's not, 'Build it and they will come.''
Bloomberg
28-05-2025
- Business
- Bloomberg
Canadian Telecom BCE to Build Large Network of AI Data Centers
BCE Inc., Canada's largest telecom company by revenue, will set up a network of artificial intelligence data centers across the country, mirroring the aggressive AI infrastructure build-out happening in the US and abroad. Bell Canada plans to invest hundreds of millions of dollars to build data centers in six Canadian cities, said Chief Executive Officer Mirko Bibic in an interview. The first site, in Kamloops, British Columbia, is expected to come online in June, with US-based AI chip startup Groq as an anchor tenant. Other facilities are planned in the province, as well as in Manitoba and Quebec in the coming years, Bell said.
National Post
23-05-2025
- Business
- National Post
Kelly McParland: CBC good, Canada Post bad. Explain the difference
Article content The CBC is used to special treatment. In 2021 the Trudeau government pledged an extra $400 million over four years to make it 'less reliant on private advertising,' yet the ads are still there, siphoning off revenue from other Canadian-owned and operated broadcasters employing Canadian talent, many with better viewership numbers. When BCE Inc. cut thousands of jobs a year ago, its CTV network took a substantial hit in people and programming. When CBC warned it might face similar cuts, Ottawa gave it a $42-million top-up. Article content The CBC's one clear distinction is its claim to relative freedom from the taint of foreign (meaning U.S.) impingement. Canadian viewers determined to avoid cultural contamination can safely watch Canadian programming featuring Canadian faces in Canadian locales. The perceived need for protection from contamination has only increased under the new U.S. administration, a point Carney emphasized in declaring 'a new Liberal government will never cower to President Trump's attacks on Canada.' Article content 'Protecting Canada's identity is part of securing Canada,' he said in announcing the CBC funding boost. 'With this plan, we will protect a reliable Canadian public forum in a sea of misinformation, so we can tell our own stories in our own languages.' Nevermind that the first thing CBC executives did when Carney was safely in office was to award themselves a big pay hike, saving themselves from the embarrassment that came with annual 'bonuses' that totalled $18.4 million in 2024. Article content Canada Post, like the CBC, has plenty of competitors offering very similar services, but without the government life support. It lacks the pizzazz of news and entertainment networks. The CBC has a history packed with famous names and faces. Randy Bachman had a radio show. Don Cherry was a Saturday night must. Barbara Frum, Peter Gzowski, Anne Murray, Foster Hewitt, Rick Mercer, Lloyd Robertson … you have to work to find a famous name that wasn't linked to the CBC at some point or other. Two CBC personalities later served as Governor General. The former host of CBC's Power & Politics was just named to Carney's new cabinet. Article content So does the CBC deserve more money and better treatment because it has more glitter? Better scandals? Because it regularly invites politicians to be interviewed? It seems that way. What Canada Post needs is to be attacked by Donald Trump, which would guarantee a rapid leap up the priority ladder. Imagine the result if word got out that the U.S. Postal Service planned to expand operations to Canada, treating it as the 51st state. Billions in federal subsidies would quickly be pledged to protect the integrity of the country's vital mail operations, ensuring it could go on delivering Canadian leaflets to Canadian mailboxes by Canadian carriers. Article content
