Latest news with #MirkoBibic
CBC
5 days ago
- Business
- CBC
Bell Canada to launch 6 AI data centres in B.C.
Telecom giant Bell Canada has announced plans to build six artificial intelligence data centres in B.C. Bell AI Fabric will create a "data centre supercluster" in the province beginning with a centre in Kamloops this June and another in Merritt by the end of the year. Mirko Bibic, president and CEO of Bell Canada, said he wants the project to become "the fabric for the AI economy for Canada." "To do it right here, you know, starting in B.C., is a testament to all the attributes that British Columbia has in terms of kind of the natural resources of the hydroelectric power, the innovation mindset, universities who are … ready, willing and able to join in," Bibic told the CBC. Kamloops to host 3 centres In addition to the first two locations, Bell AI Fabric plans to open another four AI data centres in the province. Two more will open in Kamloops in 2026 and 2027, while the final two locations have not yet been announced. Thompson Rivers University in Kamloops will be home to one of the data centres designed to host AI training and inference. Asked about the power supply needed to run the centres amid concerns about B.C. Hydro meeting future electrical demand, Bibic said he believes there is capacity in the B.C. Interior. He added that they picked Kamloops for three of the centres for its access to reliable clean energy and its "ideal climate." He promised Bell will hire local workers as it builds and manages the centres and noted Bell AI Fabric president, Dan Rink, is based in Kamloops. Merritt Mayor Michael Goetz said he's excited for the new data centre in his community. "If you're first in the door, you can control the narrative," Goetz said. "If you're coming up behind once everybody's jumped on the bandwagon, then you're playing catch up." He said the city was lucky the land was available: years ago, the site was upgraded to become a grow-op, according to Goetz. "It was going to be a row of greenhouses for the grow-up.… So it's a very powerful site." Bell AI Fabric is also planning to expand its network nationally and is considering locations in Manitoba, Ontario and Quebec, Bibic said. Data sovereignty The project has been in the works for more than a year, according to Bibic, and wasn't in response to U.S. President Donald Trump's tariffs and annexation threats. But Bibic said recent events have shown the importance of "data sovereignty," which he described as a three-pronged concept: where data resides, who owns the infrastructure and who controls the technology being used. "If there are major geopolitical events that put any of that at risk, you know that we are secure in terms of the access of technology because everything's owned, controlled, managed by Canadians, for Canadians." Bell AI Fabric plans to serve research institutions, universities, start-ups and large enterprises. Its first partner, American AI company Groq (not to be confused with Elon Musk's AI chatbot Grok), will make a home at the first data centre in Kamloops, where it will work with language processing unit chips. While Bell cut its shareholder dividends for the first time in 17 years earlier this month, Bibic said the reset would give Bell the flexibility to invest in AI technology solutions.
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Bell Canada to establish six AI data centres in British Columbia
Canadian telecoms operator Bell Canada has revealed plans to establish six AI data centres in British Columbia as part of its Bell AI Fabric initiative. Bell AI Fabric initiative is aimed at creating the country's largest AI compute project. The Bell AI Fabric will begin with a data centre supercluster in British Columbia, targeting over 500MW of hydroelectric-powered AI compute capacity across the six facilities. The first facility, a 7MW AI inference centre in Kamloops, will open in June 2025 in partnership with Groq, an AI inference provider. This will be followed by a second 7MW facility in Merritt by the end of 2025. Both centres will utilise Groq's Language Processing Units (LPUs), designed to enhance AI inference tasks for large language models at lower costs per token compared to existing alternatives, the company said. Groq CEO and founder Jonathan Ross said: "Groq's advanced LPU technology, combined with Bell's extensive fibre infrastructure, is setting a new standard in AI inference. We're excited to bring these capabilities to Canada, significantly enhancing performance and affordability for AI-driven applications." Two additional 26 MW AI data centres are planned for Kamloops. The first, set to launch in 2026 at Thompson Rivers University (TRU), will facilitate AI training and inference, providing access to advanced compute resources for students and faculty through integration with the BCNET network. Waste heat from this facility will be repurposed into TRU's district energy system. A second 26MW data centre is scheduled for 2027. Two further AI data centres, with a combined capacity exceeding 400 MW and designed for high-density AI workloads, are in advanced planning stages, the company added. Bell Canada BCE president and CEO Mirko Bibic said: "Bell's AI Fabric will ensure that Canadian businesses, researchers, and public institutions can access high-performance, sovereign and environmentally responsible AI computing services. 'Through this investment, Bell is immediately bolstering Canada's sovereign AI compute capacity, while laying the groundwork to continue growing our AI economy. This is transformational for our customers, for Canada and for Bell." "Bell Canada to establish six AI data centres in British Columbia" was originally created and published by Verdict, a GlobalData owned brand. The information on this site has been included in good faith for general informational purposes only. It is not intended to amount to advice on which you should rely, and we give no representation, warranty or guarantee, whether express or implied as to its accuracy or completeness. You must obtain professional or specialist advice before taking, or refraining from, any action on the basis of the content on our site. 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
Yahoo
6 days ago
- 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
CTV News
6 days ago
- Business
- CTV News
Bell expanding AI computing capacity, beginning with B.C. data centres
Bell signage is seen at BCE Inc., headquarters in Montreal on Wednesday, May 7, 2025. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Christopher Katsarov Bell Canada has announced plans for a national network of AI computing facilities, the first of which will open next month in British Columbia. The company shared details on its Bell AI Fabric network in a news release Wednesday, describing it as a 'major investment,' but did not specify how much it is spending. Bell, which is the parent company of CTV News, said it's planning six hydro-powered data centres in B.C. targeting upwards of 500 MW of combined artificial intelligence computing capacity. 'Bell's AI Fabric will ensure that Canadian businesses, researchers, and public institutions can access high-performance, sovereign and environmentally responsible AI computing services,' said CEO Mirko Bibic, in the news release. The first facility, with a 7 MW capacity, is opening in Kamloops in June, followed by a second facility, with a 26 MW capacity, that's expected to launch in Merritt 'by the end of this year,' the company said. Two additional 26 MW facilities are planned for Kamloops, including one at Thompson Rivers University that's expected to open in 2026. The final two are in the 'advanced planning stages with stakeholders,' according to the news release, and are expected to have a combined computing capacity exceeding 400 MW. The rapid expansion of AI technology over recent years has raised concerns about environmental impacts, including from the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), which has cited AI as 'part' of the reason the number of data centres around the world has exploded from 500,000 to an estimated eight million since 2012. One of UNEP's recommendations for mitigating the environmental damage is the use of renewable energy sources for powering those data centres, rather than fossil fuels. CTV News, BNN Bloomberg and CP24 are owned by Bell Media, which is a division of BCE.
Globe and Mail
6 days ago
- 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.''
