Bell Gigabit Fibe: Canada's fastest Internet service now available to 1.3 million homes

Bell Fibe customers in Ontario and Québec can upgrade to Gigabit Fibe speeds for just $10 a month in a bundle
For pricing options and service availability, please visit Bell.ca/Fibe
Atlantic Canada to get Gigabit Fibe speeds by the end of September
Total coverage footprint to reach 2.2 million homes by the end of 2015

MONTRÉAL, Aug. 10, 2015 /CNW/ - Bell today announced the first phase of the launch of Gigabit Fibe, with Canada's fastest Internet service now available to approximately 1.3 million homes in locations across Québec and Ontario.

"The Bell team is dedicated to continued leadership in broadband networks and next-generation communications services, so we are very proud to introduce today the absolute fastest Internet speeds available to Canadian consumers," said Rizwan Jamal, President of Bell Residential Services. "Gigabit Fibe is tomorrow's technology, offering consumers the Internet access speeds that will enable them to take full advantage of online advancements into the future."

Bell Fibe Internet customers can upgrade to Gigabit Fibe for just $10 per month in a bundle. To learn more about all Fibe Internet pricing packages, including speed tiers of 15, 25, 50, 150, 300 and 940 Megabits per second, please visit Bell.ca/Fibe or Bell.ca/Internetpackages. Gigabit Fibe initially offers top speeds of up to 940 Mbps, increasing to 1000 Mpbs (1 Gigabit) or faster in 2016. You can also visit Bell.ca/Fibe to check if Gigabit Fibe is available in your area using your postal code or home phone number.

"Bell's Network team has been quickly expanding our fibre optic network in multiple cities and towns across eastern Canada, based both on consumer demand and support from municipalities in providing permits and other assistance for this massive investment in new Canadian communications infrastructure," said Stephen Howe, Bell's Chief Technology Officer. "Available to 1.3 million homes now, Gigabit Fibe will be available to a further 650,000 locations in the Atlantic provinces this fall and to 250,000 more in Québec and Ontario. By the end of the year, we'll have about 2.2 million homes covered with the fastest Internet service available in Canada."

In Ontario, Gigabit Fibe is available in parts of Brampton, Kingston, Kitchener-Waterloo, Milton, Ottawa, Peterborough and some neighbourhoods in Toronto. In June, Bell announced a $1.14 billion investment to roll out fibre to more than 1 million homes and businesses across the City of Toronto, creating 2,400 direct jobs. Today, Gigabit Fibe is available to approximately 50,000 homes in the Toronto neighbourhoods of Regent Park, the Distillery District, Harbourfront and Willowdale.

The Gigabit Fibe footprint covers homes in communities across Québec, including Bell Canada's first full fibre centre, Québec City, as well as locations in Beloeil, Blainville, Chambly, Châteauguay, Gatineau, Joliette, La Prairie, Laval, Lévis, Magog, Repentigny, Saint-Constant, Saint-Eustache, Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu, Saint-Jérôme, Saint-Luc, Sherbrooke, Salaberry-de-Valleyfield, Sorel-Tracy, Terrebonne, Vaudreuil-Dorion and more than 85,000 homes in Montréal.

About Bell
Bell is Canada's largest communications company, providing consumers and business customers with wireless, TV, Internet, home phone and business communications services. Bell Media is Canada's premier multimedia company with leading assets in television, radio, out of home, and digital 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 Clara's Big Ride for Bell Let's Talk and 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.

CAUTION CONCERNING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS
Certain statements made in this news release are forward-looking statements. These statements include, without limitation, statements relating to the proposed deployment in certain locations of Québec, Ontario and the Atlantic provinces of the Bell Gigabit Fibe service, the value of certain related planned investment, the expected timeframe of the network deployment, and other statements that are not historical facts. Forward-looking statements are typically identified by the words assumption, goal, guidance, objective, outlook, project, strategy, target and other similar expressions or future or conditional verbs such as aim, anticipate, believe, could, expect, intend, may, plan, seek, should, strive and will. 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, by their very nature, are subject to inherent risks and uncertainties and are based on several assumptions, both general and specific, which give rise to the possibility that actual results or events could differ materially from our expectations expressed in or implied by such forward-looking statements. As a result, we cannot guarantee that any forward-looking statement will materialize and we caution you against relying on any of these forward-looking statements. The forward-looking statements contained in this news release describe our expectations as of August 10, 2015 and, accordingly, are subject to change after such date. Except as may be required by Canadian securities laws, we do 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. The proposed Bell Gigabit Fibe network deployment, and the expected timeframe, are subject to risks including, without limitation, the timely supply of parts and equipment, and the costs thereof, by suppliers and contractors. Accordingly, there can be no assurance that the proposed network deployment will be completed or that it will be completed within the expected timeframe.

The proposed Bell Gigabit Fibe deployment could also be impacted by our operational risks. Please refer to BCE's 2014 Annual MD&A dated March 5, 2015 (included in the BCE 2014 Annual Report) and BCE's 2015 First and Second Quarter MD&As dated April 29, 2015 and August 5, 2015, respectively, for a detailed description of such risks, filed by BCE with the Canadian provincial securities regulatory authorities (available at Sedar.com) and with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (available at SEC.gov). These documents are also available at BCE.ca.

For further Information:

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

SOURCE Bell Canada