Bell delivers the best broadband network connections to Canadians

CRTC tests show Bell's fibre to the home Fibe Internet service leads Canadian Internet providers in delivering better than advertised download speeds
Bell LTE wireless network ranked fastest across Canada by both Speedtest and PCMag – double the average in the Toronto market, and twice as fast as the top-ranked US carrier

MONTRÉAL, Sept. 29, 2016 /CNW Telbec/ - Consumers are receiving the highest quality broadband Internet service in Canada from Bell's all-fibre broadband Fibe network, according to a new report by the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC).

The CRTC report follows recent studies by Speedtest and PCMag that rank Bell's mobile LTE network as the fastest across Canada, and especially in the busy Toronto market.

"Bell is focused on delivering the best broadband communications experience possible to Canadians, enabling them to make the most of the latest Internet, wireless and TV services. These independent tests prove that Bell's strategy to lead investment and innovation in broadband is delivering advanced networks that consistently outperform in speed and reliability," said Wade Oosterman, Group President of BCE and Bell Canada, and Bell's Chief Brand Officer. "Canadians can be justifiably proud that our country's broadband fibre and wireless networks rank among the fastest and best in the world."

The CRTC report found that Bell's fibre to the home (FTTH) Fibe service exceeds advertised download speeds by a greater margin than any of the Internet providers tested across Canada, and that FTTH services like Fibe offer the lowest levels of latency and packet loss. Based on data collected by an international broadband measurement company from more than 3,000 Canadian Internet users, this is the second CRTC report released this year that highlights the outstanding performance of FTTH broadband networks like Fibe versus connections offered by cable companies.

"Spectacularly fast" mobile services
Bell's LTE wireless network was also ranked as Canada's fastest once again in 2016 by 2 major independent analysts. Speedtest by Ookla gathered data from nearly 800,000 mobile tests, and found that Bell LTE delivered the fastest mobile data download speeds of any provider across Canada, and is nearly twice as fast in Toronto as the overall average.

Testing by PCMag this summer also showed that Bell offers the fastest maximum and average mobile download speeds in Canada and in the Toronto area, and that Bell LTE speeds were twice as fast as the top-ranked US wireless carrier: "Spectacularly fast, exceeding anything we've ever seen in our US results. Bell's LTE is probably even faster than the Internet access you have at home. It's truly a world-class 4G experience," PCMag said in its report.

Continuous innovation at Bell
With capital expenditures of more than $3.7 billion each year, Bell is Canada's leader in broadband network investment and service innovation. Bell also invests over $500 million each year in Canadian R&D, significantly more than any other communications provider in the country.

Bell is investing $1 billion more in 2016 to bring FTTH Fibe and Gigabit Internet service to a total of approximately 3 million homes and businesses in Atlantic Canada, Ontario and Québec by the end of the year. The company is also rolling out new products to make the most of Fibe's broadband capabilities, including the recently launched Home Hub 3000 modem/router. With 12 antennas, total throughput capability of up to 1 Gigabit, reduced interference, and support for multiple connected devices, it's the most powerful Wi-Fi modem/router in Canada.

Bell's 4G LTE wireless network now reaches 97% of Canadians, and more than 70% will have access to LTE-Advanced speeds, which delivers data speeds of up to 335 Mbps (expected average 25 to 100 Mbps), by the end of this year.

In July, Bell announced that it had conducted the first ever Canadian trials of 5G mobile technology in collaboration with Nokia. Expected to be widely available within the next 5 to 7 years, 5G will provide even faster data speeds than current networks and more capacity to meet the demands of mobile customers for broadcast video and Internet of Things (IoT) applications, including connected vehicles and city-wide IoT solutions. Bell is a member of the Next Generation Mobile Networks consortium (ngmn.org), the global body defining requirements for the international 5G ecosystem.

About Bell
Bell is Canada's largest communications company, providing consumers and business customers with wireless, TV, Internet, home phone, small business and enterprise communications services. Bell Media is Canada's premier multimedia company with leading assets in television, radio, digital and out of home media. Bell is wholly owned by Montréal's BCE Inc. (TSX, NYSE: BCE). For more information, please visit Bell.ca.

The Bell Let's Talk initiative 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 initiatives. To learn more, please visit Bell.ca/LetsTalk.

Media inquiries:

Jacqueline Michelis
613 785-1427
jacqueline.michelis@bell.ca

Investor Inquiries:

Thane Fotopoulos
514 870-4619
thane.fotopoulos@bell.ca

SOURCE Bell Canada