Bell Canada Increases Sovereign AI Capacity with Bell AI Fabric

• Major investment will provide companies access to cutting edge AI Compute in Canada

This news release contains forward-looking statements. For a description of the related risk factors and assumptions, please see the section entitled "Caution Concerning Forward-Looking Statements" later in this news release.

MONTRÉAL, May 28, 2025 /CNW/ - Bell Canada today announced Bell AI Fabric, a major investment that will create the country's largest artificial intelligence (AI) compute project and ensure that Canadian companies can continue to compete and win in the global AI economy.

Bell AI Fabric will create a national network starting with a data centre supercluster in British Columbia that will aim to provide upwards of 500 MW of hydro-electric powered AI compute capacity across six facilities.

Bell AI Fabric underscores Bell's capabilities as a leading full-stack AI Managed Service Provider that can support Canadian enterprises and governments across their full spectrum of AI needs, from strategy and applications development through infrastructure deployment.

This initiative represents Bell's long-term objective to drive AI innovation and economic growth in Canada. With cutting-edge technology and ensuring data sovereignty, Bell is poised to lead the way in delivering secure, reliable, and transformative AI solutions for businesses and communities across the country.

"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."

- Mirko Bibic, President & CEO, BCE and Bell Canada

Bell AI Fabric national network

The first of Bell's AI Fabric facilities will come online in June 2025 in partnership with leading AI inference provider, Groq and the launch of their 7 MW AI inference facility in Kamloops, BC. Additional AI facilities will come online by the end of 2026, including a 26 MW AI data centre being built in partnership with Thompson Rivers University (TRU).

Two other AI datacentres with a combined capacity of more than 400 MW are also in advanced planning stages with stakeholders.

Bell AI Fabric includes:

• Two 7 MW AI facilities that will be live this year. The first will open in Kamloops, BC in June 2025, and is powered by Groq's cutting-edge LPUs, which are designed to accelerate artificial intelligence inference tasks, particularly for large language models (LLMs). The second facility will open in Merritt, BC by the end of this year.
• Two additional 26 MW AI data centres in Kamloops. The first will open in 2026 at Thompson Rivers University (TRU) and will be followed by a second 26 MW data centre in 2027.
• Two AI data centres in advanced planning stages, which will be designed for high-density AI workloads, powered by clean hydroelectricity and with a total capacity of more than 400 MW.
• Other facilities planned across the country will take advantage of Bell's nationwide real estate assets and will further add to the capacity of Bell AI Fabric.

"BC has a robust and rapidly growing AI sector, and the supercluster of data centres will drive innovation, create jobs, and further strengthen our province's position as an emerging world-class AI hub."

- Diana Gibson, Minister of Jobs, Economic Development and Innovation, Government of British Columbia

Advanced compute technology powered by Groq

Bell has selected Groq as its inference infrastructure partner to support the development of sovereign AI in Canada, ensuring that customers have access to the most up-to-date technology to power their AI workloads. Groq's advanced LPUs deliver faster inference performance than other processing units at significantly lower costs per token than existing market alternatives.

"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." 

- Jonathan Ross, CEO and Founder, Groq

An academic partnership with Thompson Rivers University

The data centre at TRU will be designed to host AI training and inference, providing students and faculty with access to cutting-edge compute capabilities, both at TRU and nationally through integration with the BCNET network. The data centre is also being integrated into the district energy system, with waste heat being repurposed to provide energy to TRU's buildings.

"Thompson Rivers University is proud to partner in this groundbreaking initiative, positioning Kamloops and British Columbia at the forefront of sustainable AI innovation. This collaboration will create unprecedented opportunities for students, researchers, and our community."

- Shannon Wagner, Interim Provost and VP Academic, Thompson Rivers University

About Bell
Bell is Canada's largest communications company,¹ providing advanced broadband Internet, wireless, TV, media and business communication services. Founded in Montréal in 1880, Bell is wholly owned by BCE Inc. To learn more, please visit Bell.ca or BCE.ca.

Through Bell for Better, we are investing to create a better today and a better tomorrow by supporting the social and economic prosperity of our communities. This includes the Bell Let's Talk initiative, which 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 leadership initiatives throughout the country. To learn more, please visit Bell.ca/LetsTalk.

¹ Based on total revenue and total combined customer connections.

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CAUTION REGARDING FORWARD LOOKING STATEMENTS

Certain statements made in this news release are forward-looking statements, including statements relating to Bell Canada's planned launch of Bell AI Fabric intended to create Canada's largest AI compute project, the expected size of the investment intended to be made, the expected number of AI datacenters to be launched in 2025, 2026 and 2027, Bell Canada's long-term objective to drive AI innovation and economic growth in Canada, the benefits expected to result from the launch of Bell AI Fabric, and other statements that are not historical facts. All such forward-looking statements are made pursuant to the "safe harbour" provisions of applicable Canadian securities laws and of the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements are subject to inherent risks and uncertainties and are based on several assumptions which give rise to the possibility that actual results or events could differ materially from our expectations. These statements are not guarantees of future performance or events, and we caution you against relying on any of these forward-looking statements. The forward-looking statements contained in this news release describe Bell Canada's expectations at the date of this news release and, accordingly, are subject to change after such date. Except as may be required by applicable securities laws, Bell Canada does not undertake any obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements contained in this news release, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. Forward-looking statements made in this news release, including the expected size of the investment intended to be made and the expected number of AI datacenters to be launched in 2025, 2026 and 2027, are subject to certain risks and uncertainties and are based on certain assumptions including, without limitation, the successful launch of Bell AI Fabric, the timely deployment of each of the planned AI datacenters, the demand by Canadian businesses, researchers and public institutions for AI-driven solutions, as well as Bell Canada's financial performance and available liquidity to fund the Bell AI Fabric project. Accordingly, there can be no assurance that forward-looking statements made in this news release, including the expected size of the investment intended to be made and the expected number of AI datacenters to be launched in 2025, 2026 and 2027, will be achieved. For additional information on assumptions and risks underlying certain of our forward-looking statements made in this news release, please consult BCE Inc.'s (BCE) 2024 Annual MD&A dated March 6, 2025, BCE's 2025 First Quarter MD&A dated May 7, 2025 and BCE's news release dated May 8, 2025 announcing its financial results for the first quarter of 2025, filed with the Canadian provincial securities regulatory authorities (available at sedarplus.ca) and with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (available at SEC.gov). These documents are also available at BCE.ca.

SOURCE Bell Canada (MTL)