Canada stands at a crossroads. As economic uncertainty and foreign pressures mount, Canadian businesses and policymakers have an opportunity to create a better future for all. Working together, our ability to grow Canada’s economy increasingly depends on the strength and independence of our country’s sovereign critical infrastructure. A resilient, modern economy starts with world-class connectivity - built, owned, and maintained by companies committed to Canada’s future.
Build
For 145 years, Bell has been a builder of telecommunications networks, connecting Canadians across the country. Under more pro-economic development regulatory conditions, Bell invested nearly $23 billion across all our networks since 2020. This historic, accelerated investment in high-speed fibre Internet powers Canada’s economy, supports jobs, and enhances connectivity.
Bell’s work is not done. We want to invest in Canada and stand ready to keep building one of the world’s fastest pure fibre networks. However, a recent decision from the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) has caused us to scale back our planned fibre build in Canada, and it puts future investments at risk.
The CRTC ruling allows major providers like TELUS, Rogers, and Bell to resell each other’s fibre networks rather than having to build their own. Under the current policy, the incentive to build and the resiliency that flows from multiple networks erode.
Connect
Bell’s fibre networks power Canada’s economy by connecting Canadians from the biggest cities to the most rural, remote and Indigenous communities. Critical to Canada’s economy, fibre networks allow Canadians to start businesses, work remotely, and compete globally. If the government puts in place smart policies that encourage private sector investment, Bell can continue to make the nation-building investments needed for Canada to thrive well into the future.
This isn’t just about one company. It’s about the country’s ability to compete in a digital-first world. At a time when Canada must prioritize its economic independence, these investments lay the groundwork for prosperity and connect Canadians to new opportunities, no matter where they live.
When it comes to consumer choice, allowing TELUS, Rogers and Bell to resell each other’s networks will reduce competition by squeezing out small and regional players that lack the scale and product offerings to compete effectively with the national carriers’ wireless and broadband product bundles. Over time, market consolidation will leave consumers with fewer affordable options to connect to the digital economy.
Grow Canada
Canada’s long-term economic growth hinges on infrastructure that can scale with the demands of the future. But we cannot continue investing at this scale in an environment where the rules discourage long-term capital investments. The CRTC’s policy puts critical infrastructure - and by extension, Canada’s digital future - at risk. Supporting private sector investment in broadband isn’t a favour to telecom companies; it’s a necessary step toward growing a stronger, more resilient Canada.
Bell has helped build Canada for over a century. We are proud of our legacy - but we know there is more work to be done. We want to keep investing in a way that sees us building more infrastructure, connecting more people, households and businesses, and further growing our economy.
That is why the federal government should reverse the CRTC decision. It’s time to create a policy environment that encourages long-term investment, builds the infrastructure that Canada needs, and connects Canadians to the opportunities they deserve. It’s time to harness private sector investment to build, connect and grow Canada.
You can learn more by visiting bce.ca/build.
Robert Malcolmson, Executive Vice President and Chief Legal & Regulatory Officer, BCE