About BCE

BCE Inc. (BCE) operates as a largest communications company. The company provides residential, business and wholesale customers with a wide range of solutions for all their communications needs. The company offers a wide range of telecommunications products and services. Segments The company operates through three segments: Bell Wireless, Bell Wireline, and Bell Media. Bell Wireless provides wireless voice and data communication products and services to the company’s residential, small and medium-sized business and large enterprise customers, as well as consumer electronics products across Canada. Bell Wireline provides data, including Internet access and Internet protocol television (IPTV), local telephone, long distance, as well as other communication services and products to the company’s residential, small and medium-sized business and large enterprise customers, primarily in Ontario, Québec, the Atlantic provinces and Manitoba, while satellite television (TV) service and connectivity to business customers are available nationally across Canada. In addition, this segment includes the company’s wholesale business, which buys and sells local telephone, long distance, data and other services from or to resellers and other carriers. Bell Media provides conventional TV, specialty TV, pay TV, streaming services, digital media services, radio broadcasting services and out-of-home (OOH) advertising services to customers nationally across Canada. In addition to its operating segments, the company holds investments in a number of other assets, including: A 28% indirect equity interest in Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment Ltd., a sports and entertainment company that owns several sports teams, including the Toronto Maple Leafs, the Toronto Raptors, Toronto FC, and the Toronto Argonauts, as well as real estate and entertainment assets in Toronto; A 50% indirect equity interest in Glentel Inc. (Glentel), a Canadian-based connected services retailer; and An 18.4% indirect equity interest in entities that operate the Montreal Canadiens Hockey Club, evenko (a promoter and producer of cultural and sports events), and the Bell Centre in Montréal, Québec, as well as Place Bell in Laval, Québec. Strategic Imperatives BCE’s purpose is to advance how Canadians connect with each other and the world. The company’s strategy builds on its longstanding strengths in networks, service innovation and content creation, and positions the company for continued growth and innovation leadership. The company seeks to take advantage of opportunities to leverage its networks, infrastructure, sales channels, and brand and marketing resources across its various lines of business to create value for both its customers and other stakeholders. The company’s strategy is centred on its disciplined focus and execution of six strategic imperatives that position it to deliver continued success in a fast-changing communications marketplace. In 2022, the company embedded its focus on creating a more sustainable future directly into its six strategic imperatives, reflecting its longstanding commitment to the highest environmental, social and governance (ESG) standards. The six strategic imperatives that underlie BCE’s business plan are build the best networks; drive growth with innovative services; deliver the most compelling content; and champion customer experience. Operations The company is the largest local exchange carrier in Canada. BCE operates an extensive local access network in Ontario, Québec, the Atlantic provinces and Manitoba, as well as in Canada’s Northern Territories. The company provides a complete suite of wireless communications, wireline voice and data, including Internet access and TV, product and service offerings to residential, business and wholesale customers. The company also owns Bell Media, Canada’s leading content creation company with premier assets in TV, radio, and out-of-home (OOH) advertising, monetized through traditional and digital platforms. The company also offers competitive local exchange carrier (CLEC) services in Alberta and British Columbia. The company also had approximately 2.2 million mobile connected device subscribers as of December 31, 2021. BCE is the largest Internet service provider in Canada, providing with high-speed Internet access through fibre-optic, wireless-to-the-premise (WTTP) and digital subscriber line (DSL) technology. BCE is the largest TV provider in Canada based on number of subscribers, nationally broadcasting a wide range of domestic and international programming to retail subscribers through its IPTV services, namely Fibe TV, the Fibe TV app and Virgin Plus TV, as well as its satellite TV service. BCE operated approximately 2.3 million retail residential network access service (NAS) voice lines as of December 31, 2021. The company’s large customer base, its wireline and wireless network reach, and its ability to sell through a variety of distribution channels. Technologically Advanced Wireless Networks and Services The company’s Bell Wireless segment provides wireless services over technologically advanced wireless networks that are available to virtually all of the Canadian population. The company offers a broad range of wireless voice and data communication products and services to residential and business customers through its Bell brand, as well as its Virgin Plus and Lucky Mobile brands, which enhance its competitive market position by allowing it to compete more effectively with the Canadian industry’s other discount brands, as well as regional facilities-based wireless service providers. The company offers a range of wireless voice and data communications products and services to residential and business customers through its Bell, Virgin Mobile Canada (Virgin Mobile) and Lucky Mobile brands. The company focuses on growing its market share of national operators’ postpaid mobile phone net customer activations, growing its prepaid mobile phone subscriber base, improving sales execution and customer retention, and introducing new devices and data services. With its national high-speed packet access plus (HSPA+) network, the company’s fourth-generation (4G) long-term evolution (LTE) wireless network, its Dual-band, Tri-band and Quad band LTE Advanced (LTE-A) network, and its 5G wireless network, it is able to offer one of the broadest ranges of choice in wireless smartphones in Canada, along with extensive North American and international coverage. In addition, Bell’s enhanced Gigabit LTE-A network, initially rolled out in 2018 to core locations in Toronto and Kingston, has since expanded to more areas as smartphones that support these advanced speeds have come to market, and is available in select cities across Canada. Bell also launched in 2018 a new LTE, Category M1 (LTE-M) network, which is a subset of its LTE network supporting low-power Internet of Things (IoT) applications with enhanced coverage, longer device battery life and lower costs for IoT devices connecting to Bell’s national network. In June 2020, Bell (either Bell Canada or, collectively, Bell Canada, its subsidiaries, joint arrangements and associates) launched its 5G wireless network, offering enhanced mobile data speeds and the latest 5G-capable smartphones. As with previous wireless and wireline network deployments, Bell is working with multiple equipment suppliers for its 5G rollout, including Nokia Corporation (Nokia) and Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson (Ericsson). In 2021, Bell acquired significant additional mid-band, flexible-use 3500 megahertz (MHz) wireless spectrum in the auction by Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada (ISED). Essential to Canada’s ongoing transition to 5G communications, these high-capacity airwaves extend Bell’s leadership in delivering enhanced 5G digital experiences to Canadian consumers and businesses in urban, rural and remote communities. 5G Innovation and Leadership Bell is working with a range of leading global and domestic 5G partners, including Ericsson and Nokia, to accelerate Canada’s 5G innovation ecosystem. This includes continued investment in research and development at Canadian institutions, such as a partnership between Western University and Bell to create a new academic centre for research into 5G applications across health (including mental health), transportation, manufacturing and other sectors, and a partnership with Université de Sherbrooke through the Interdisciplinary Institute for Technological Innovation (3IT) to drive broadband technology research in a broad range of sectors, including IoT, Smart Campus / Smart City, innovative manufacturing and smart energy management. The latter partnership enabled the installation in 2021 of new remote cell sites to improve cellular coverage in Québec’s Abitibi-Témiscamingue region as part of a research project to maximize the use of solar energy to minimize generator use in remote locations without access to electricity. On the international stage, Bell is involved in the setting of global 5G standards with the company’s participation in the Next Generation Mobile Networks (NGMN) consortium and Third Generation Partnership Program (3GPP). In 2021, the company’s 5G network enabled the following innovative applications: TSN and RDS launched TSN 5G View / Vision 5G RDS, an exclusive in-app feature that leverages Bell’s 5G network to offer fans interactive new ways to watch sports. It was initially introduced with Montreal Canadiens and Toronto Maple Leafs regional home game broadcasts, enabling fans to control the viewing angle of the game on their smartphones, getting up close to every goal, pass, hit and penalty with zoom, pause, rewind and slow-motion capabilities. This feature was later expanded to Toronto Raptors home games. Bell also announced a collaboration with TikTok Canada that lets TikTok users with Bell 5G co-create with friends in real time while physically apart with Paint Portal, a new 5G multi-user augmented reality experience. In 2021, the company further announced a number of strategic cloud and technology partnerships. The company entered into an agreement with Amazon Web Services, Inc. (AWS) to modernize the digital experience for Bell customers and support Fifth Generation (5G) innovation across Canada. Bell will use the breadth and depth of AWS technologies to create and scale new consumer and business applications faster, as well as enhance how its voice, wireless, television and Internet subscribers engage with Bell services and content, such as streaming video. In addition, AWS and Bell are teaming up to bring AWS Wavelength to Canada, deploying it at the edge of Bell’s 5G network to allow developers to build ultra-low-latency applications for mobile devices and users. With this rollout, Bell will become the first Canadian communications company to offer AWS-powered multi-access edge computing (MEC) to business and government users. In addition, the company announced a strategic partnership with Google Cloud to help power Bell’s company-wide digital transformation, enhance its network and IT infrastructure, and enable a more sustainable future. This new, multi-year partnership will combine Bell’s 5G network leadership with Google’s expertise in multicloud, data analytics and AI, to deliver next-generation experiences for Bell customers across Canada. As demands on mobile networks evolve and increase, Bell and Google Cloud will collaborate throughout the next decade on new innovations, including cloud solutions for enterprise customers and consumers powered by Google edge solutions, and enhanced customer service through automation and artificial intelligence (AI). Providing Solutions in Growing Internet of Things Sector Bell provides a number of solutions in the fast-growing IoT sector, which enables the interconnection of a range of devices and applications that send and receive data. Bell further offers global connectivity solutions for the company’s IoT platforms and applications, which offer customers worldwide network access and the ability to manage all of their international devices remotely from a single web platform. Bell’s lineup of innovative IoT applications includes connected telematics services, including security, safety, diagnostics and infotainment, for vehicles; fuel tank monitoring and water management solutions; fleet management solutions connecting commercial vehicles to the Internet to provide web-based analytics to manage the fleet; connected laptop solutions, enabling LTE connectivity directly from select LTE enabled laptops; managed IoT security services that offer businesses, smart cities and other organizations employing IoT solutions a fully managed solution to detect and protect organizations from evolving cyber threats; and new solutions made available in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, such as real-time occupancy monitoring, digital signage and sanitizer kiosks. A number of announcements related to IoT applications or transactions were announced in 2021: Bell and Honda Canada announced that new Honda and Acura vehicles are equipped with built-in Wi-Fi hotspots over 4G LTE that enable drivers and their passengers to stay fully connected online, safely and hands-free, while on the open road with Bell Connected Car. This is in addition to built-in Wi-Fi hotspots already enabled in supported Ford and Lincoln vehicles since 2018. Bell announced the launch of Smart Supply Chain powered by Bell IoT Smart Connect, an as-a-service IoT aggregation solution designed for fleet and supply chain operators, which aggregates multiple IoT data sources and operational data sets into a single dashboard, reducing business complexity by offering a unified view of a company’s entire fleet, including trucks, trailers, drivers and the temperature of cargo, to optimize and automate tracking and management. Bell announced an agreement with geographic information system provider Esri Canada to create the Bell Integrated Smart City Ecosystem, enabling Canadian communities to accelerate their digital transformation, enhancing decision-making and streamlining collaboration across municipal or regional departments with a platform that collects, integrates and displays data in one seamless end-to-end experience. Bell was announced as a founding partner of The PIER, a global showcase for sector innovation in transportation, supply chain and logistics in Halifax, Nova Scotia, where Bell will deploy its 5G-ready managed wireless private network, and its 5G network will enable IoT solutions at the port to support business-critical functions with real-time data monitoring and reporting to reduce complexity and derive deeper insights. Next-Generation High-Speed Internet and TV Services The company’s strategic imperative to build the best networks is focused on the expansion of its all-fibre network to more homes and business locations. The company’s fibre-to-the-premise (FTTP) broadband fibre network covered premises (homes and business locations), and its combined FTTP and fibre-to-the-node (FTTN) broadband fibre network covered premises in Ontario, Québec, the Atlantic provinces and Manitoba. It enables the delivery of Bell’s next-generation fibre-optic high-speed Internet service marketed as Fibe Internet, offering total download access speeds of up to 1.5 gigabits per second (Gbps) with FTTP through its Gigabit Fibe 1.5 service, or download speeds of up to 100 megabits per second (Mbps) with FTTN. It also enables the delivery of its Internet service marketed as Virgin Plus Internet, offering download speeds of up to 100 Mbps. As Bell quickly extends its direct fibre links in urban and suburban centres, the company is also delivering broadband speeds to smaller towns and rural locations with its innovative Wireless Home Internet fixed wireless service, which is based on 5G-capable WTTP technology. With the expansion of wireless cell site coverage, deep fibre backhaul and advancements in technology, the cost to provide a fixed wireless solution has become viable in rural areas where it is uneconomical to deploy FTTP. In 2021, the company completed the buildout of its Wireless Home Internet service in smaller towns and rural communities across Ontario, Québec, the Atlantic provinces and Manitoba, reaching its target of 1 million locations one year ahead of schedule. Already delivering download speeds of up to 25 Mbps, Bell increased its Wireless Home Internet service’s Internet download speeds to up to 50 Mbps and uploads to 10 Mbps (50/10) in the fall of 2020, which enhanced speeds are now available to a majority of customers. In August 2021, an agreement with Casa Systems, Inc. was announced for the upgrade of Bell’s WTTP network to 5G to further boost speed and capacity for Wireless Home Internet customers. The company’s FTTP and FTTN broadband fibre network also enables the delivery of Bell’s next-generation IPTV services, namely Fibe TV, the Fibe TV app and Virgin Plus TV. Bell’s IPTV services target areas where cable providers had long been dominant, providing it with the opportunity to gain significant market share through offering a comprehensive multi-product bundle of communications services to customers. Bell’s Fibe TV service, built on a next-generation IPTV platform, offers a wide range of flexible programming options and innovative features to customers in Ontario, Québec, the Atlantic provinces and Manitoba, such as the Fibe TV wireless receiver, which enables customers to enjoy the Fibe experience on up to five additional TVs anywhere in the home without the hassle of running cable through the house; the Restart and Look Back features, enabling customers to rewind and watch TV shows already in progress from the beginning and up to 30 hours after they started; and the Trending feature, which lists the five most-watched shows in both English and French among Fibe TV customers at any given time and allows customers to switch to watch live or Restart from the beginning. Fibe TV further allows access to Crave, Netflix, Prime Video and YouTube directly from customer TV receivers, providing a seamless experience. The Fibe TV app brings the rich Fibe TV viewing experience to laptops, smartphones, tablets, Bell Streamer, Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV, Google Chromecast and a variety of Android TV devices, with access to more than 500 live and on-demand channels at home or on the go, which allows customers to seamlessly transfer a channel being viewed from a mobile device to a TV, or resume what is being watched on TV on a mobile device, and allows customers to control their TVs with their mobile devices. In addition, Fibe customers can download their personal video recordings with the Fibe TV app to watch on iOS and Android mobile devices without Wi-Fi network access, and customers can pause and rewind live TV on any device with the Fibe TV app. In 2021, the availability of the Fibe TV app was extended to customers in the Atlantic provinces and Manitoba. In addition, the company offers the Fibe TV app service in Ontario and Québec as a standalone app-based live TV streaming service that offers live and on-demand programming. With no traditional TV set-top box required, the Fibe TV app offers up to 500 live and on-demand channels on laptops, smartphones, tablets, Bell Streamer, Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV, Google Chromecast and a variety of Android TV devices. The standalone Fibe TV app offers access to two TV streams at a time and customers can add individual channels to build their own packages. Like Bell’s Fibe TV service, the standalone Fibe TV app operates as a licensed broadcast service on the privately managed Bell Fibe broadband network for in-home viewing, and on mobile or Wi-Fi networks outside the home. In 2020, the company launched Virgin TV (now Virgin Plus TV), a completely new way for Virgin Plus Internet members in Ontario and Québec to watch live and on-demand TV shows and live sports on any screen they want. Virgin Plus TV is an app-based service that does not require a traditional TV set-top box or installation, and it works on virtually all devices – iOS and Android smartphones and tablets, laptops, Amazon Fire TV, Android TV, Apple TV and Google Chromecast. The Virgin Plus TV app lets members watch two streams at once, pause and rewind live TV, resume on-demand programs where they left off, and track all the top trending shows. In 2020, Bell launched the Bell Streamer, an all-in-one 4K High Dynamic Range (HDR) streaming device powered by Android TV that offers customers in Ontario and Québec all-in-one access to the Fibe TV app, support for all major streaming services and access to thousands of apps on Google Play. National Wireline Service Provider with Market Leadership Position The company’s leadership position in broadband Internet and TV and its broad suite of product offerings serve as a foundation for the other products and services it offers. This provides the company with a significant number of established customer connections to drive uptake of new products and services, either through bundled offerings or on a standalone basis, and allows it to improve customer retention. The company’s business markets team maintains a leadership position, having established relationships with a majority of Canada’s largest 100 corporations. The company’s team continues to deliver network-centric business service solutions to large business and public sector clients, and it introduced the following new services in 2021: Bell announced it is working with VMware and AWS to help organizations across Canada plan, simplify and manage their hybrid cloud transformations. The Bell Cloud Professional Services team will work with organizations to assess their current structures, workloads and goals, and develop the optimal cloud strategy for their business in conjunction with VMware and AWS. Bell manages the migration to ensure a seamless and agile transition with cloud infrastructure and security support, all on Bell’s networks. This relationship builds on Bell’s agreement with AWS, announced in 2021, to support 5G innovation and accelerate cloud adoption across Canada. Bell was the first Canadian communications company to offer AWS-powered 5G MEC for business and government customers. Bell launched the Bell Security Unified Response Environment (BSURE), a new service that combines Bell’s national security operations with industry-leading security technologies from Fortinet, Inc. (Fortinet), a United States (U.S.) based network security company, to provide Bell customers with a robust 24/7 managed cyber security solution. Bell entered into an agreement with NICE to provide advanced cloud contact centre services to Canadian businesses with NICE’s industry-leading contact centre as a service (CCaaS) platform. With this platform, Bell can help Canadian businesses implement a digital-first omni-channel strategy so that they can stay connected with their customers anywhere, anytime and on any device. Significant Media Assets Bell Media’s range of video content enhances the execution of its strategic imperatives by leveraging its significant network investments, delivering compelling content across all screens and platforms, and enabling it to maximize strategic and operating synergies, including the efficiency of its content and advertising spend. The company owns and operates 35 conventional TV stations, including CTV, Canada’s #1 network for 20 consecutive years, #1 advertising-based video on demand (AVOD) platform and leading digital news destination ctvnews.ca, and the French-language Noovo network in Québec, including its popular AVOD platform and recently launched digital news destination Noovo.info. The company owns and operates 27 specialty channels, including TSN, Canada’s most-watched sports channel, and RDS, the top French-language sports network. The company owns and operates four pay TV services, as well as three direct-to-consumer streaming services, including Crave, the exclusive home of HBO in Canada; owns 109 licensed radio stations in 58 markets across Canada; leads the Canadian digital media landscape in visitors, page views and total page minutes among Canadian broadcast and video network competitors; and owns Astral, one of Canada’s major OOH advertising businesses with a network of more than 50,000 advertising faces strategically located in key urban cities across the country, which offers a portfolio of six product lines: outdoor advertising, street furniture, airport, digital large format, transit and lifestyle advertising. The company owns 109 licensed radio stations in 58 markets across Canada, all available through the iHeartRadio app alongside an extensive catalogue of podcasts. The company leads the Canadian digital media landscape in unique visitors, page views and total page minutes among Canadian TV media competitors. The company owns Astral Media Inc. (Astral Media Inc.), one of Canada’s leading OOH advertising businesses with a network of more than 50,000 advertising faces strategically located across the country. It offers a portfolio of six innovative product lines: outdoor, street furniture, airport, large digital format, transit and lifestyle advertising. The company owns Crave, a subscription-based video-on-demand streaming service providing premium content and a robust lineup of video programming. Crave features a broad catalogue of sought-after content and Emmy Award-winning programming. With Crave, HBO, HBO Max originals and SHOWTIME programming, as well as box-office hits, are available directly to all Canadians with access to the Internet. Crave, also a bilingual service, offers English and French-language content through participating TV providers and streaming platforms. Bell Media’s Super Écran is also available OTT as part of all Crave subscriptions. In October 2021, the company launched a mobile-only Crave product, available directly to consumers and through participating wireless carriers. STARZ remains available through participating service providers and directly to consumers as a separate add-on. In 2021, Noovo expanded its digital offering available on the Noovo. ca website and via the new Noovo app, showcasing the company’s extensive catalogue of French-language programming, including from the conventional channel Noovo, as well as from Canal D, Canal Vie, Investigation, VRAK and Z. Noovo also debuted its news service on March 29, 2021, as well as the Noovo.ca website, which includes all episodes of the Noovo Le Fil news show. On January 17, 2022, the noovo.info website was unveiled, which offers exclusive original features dedicated entirely to news, which represents the final piece to Noovo’s multi-platform news division. Through CTV’s all-in-one digital video platform and streaming from CTV.ca and the CTV app on smartphones, Smart TVs and other connected devices, audiences can get even more value from their TV subscriptions all in one place, with livestreams and on-demand viewing of programming from CTV Comedy Channel, CTV Drama Channel, CTV Sci-Fi Channel, CTV Life Channel, CTV2, Discovery, E! and MTV, as well as Canada’s #1 lineup from CTV. The platform provides access for subscribers of CTV-branded entertainment channels to stream premium content from those channels, as well as CTV Throwback and CTV Movies, all at no additional cost and with one simple login. The company continues to provide live and on-demand access to content from its specialty networks, BNN Bloomberg, TSN, RDS and other brands in news, sports and entertainment. In 2021, TSN and RDS launched TSN 5G View/Vision 5G RDS, an exclusive in-app feature that leverages Bell’s 5G network to offer fans interactive new ways to watch sports. Marketing and Distribution Channels Bell Wireless and Bell Wireline The guiding principle driving the company’s marketing strategy is to offer its clients the ultimate in reliable, simple and accessible telecommunications services. Through the bundling of services, which combines wireline local voice and long distance, high-speed Internet, TV and smart home, as well as wireless services, its goal is to use a multi-product offering to achieve competitive differentiation by offering a premium, integrated set of services that provides customers with more freedom, flexibility and choice. The company also makes use of limited-time promotional offers featuring discounted rate plans, special rates on wireless handsets and TV receivers, as well as other incentives, to stimulate new customer acquisition and retain existing customers or to respond to competitive actions in its markets. The company focuses its marketing efforts on a coordinated program of TV, print, radio, Internet, outdoor signage, direct mail and point-of-sale media promotions. The company engages in mass market advertising in order to maintain its brand and support direct and indirect distribution channels. Coordinated marketing efforts throughout its service area ensure that its marketing message is presented consistently across all its markets. The Bell brands play a key role in product positioning. The company’s branding is straightforward and directly supports its strategy of delivering a better customer experience at every level. In July 2021, Virgin Mobile Canada officially rebranded to Virgin Plus, a new name and a new identity that reflects the company’s evolving service offerings beyond mobility. Specifically for Bell Wireless, acquiring and retaining subscribers is a key marketing objective that it seeks to achieve through the company’s networks and suite of leading-edge devices and services to drive higher usage and increased adoption of data services. Since June 2019, the company offers unlimited plans featuring unlimited data access with no overage charges. In July 2019, the company also introduced SmartPay device financing plans that let Bell Mobility customers buy their new smartphones with 24 interest-free installments separate from their service plan. In May 2020, the company similarly introduced Sweet Pay device financing plans for Virgin Plus customers. In addition, the company offers Connect Everything plans that provide a way to link all of a customer’s Bell devices with a pool of data to share across smartphones, tablets, smartwatches and other devices, such as wireless trackers, security cameras and vehicles with Bell Connected Car. In January 2022, the company introduced new mobile unlimited Ultimate plans to make the most of 5G with more data at max speeds, international messaging, HD video quality and hotspot capability. The company also continues to offer discounts on the price of wireless handsets in exchange for a contractual commitment from a subscriber, a practice also used by other Canadian wireless operators. Research has shown that a key driver of customer acquisition is handset selection and style. The company’s current wireless device portfolio includes many leading-edge devices, some launched as exclusive to Bell in the Canadian market. As the Canadian wireless market further matures and competition intensifies, customer retention is increasingly important. The company delivers its products and services to residential wireless and wireline customers through approximately 1,100 Bell, Virgin Plus, Lucky Mobile and The Source retail locations; national retailers, such as Best Buy, Walmart, Loblaws and Glentel’s WIRELESSWAVE, Tbooth wireless and WIRELESS etc., as well as a network of regional and independent retailers in all regions; call centre representatives; its websites, including bell.ca, virginplus.ca, luckymobile.ca and thesource.ca; and door-to-door sales representatives. The company also offers customers the convenience of One Bill for Internet, TV, home phone, wireless and smart home services. For small business customers, the company’s residential and small business team offers a wide range of wireline services, including Business Fibe Internet, Bell Total Connect, Business Phone and TV, along with many other communications solutions, all designed for companies that typically have fewer than 20 employees. Small business solutions are sold through dedicated call centre representatives and the company’s bell.ca website, as well as its retail network and door-to-door sales representatives. The company’s wireless products and services are delivered to small business customers through the same channels as those previously described for services to residential customers. Communications solutions for medium-sized business and large enterprise customers, including since 2021 the company’s wireless services, are delivered by its business markets team, and its products and services are sold through dedicated sales representatives, call centres, certified resellers and competitive bids. By combining products and services, including professional services, into fully managed, end-to-end information and technology solutions, the company has been successful in providing both medium-sized business and large enterprise customers with complex communications products and services. The company delivers expertise in key solution areas, including Internet, private networks and broadcasts, voice and unified communications, customer contact centre and security solutions. The company’s wholesale business communications products and services are delivered by its wholesale team. They are sold through the company’s dedicated sales representatives, web portals and call centres. Restrictive measures taken by Canadian governments starting in March 2020 to combat the COVID-19 pandemic have included the temporary closure of non-essential businesses, including most locations in the company’s retail distribution channels. While the subsequent easing of certain of these measures allowed the reopening of its retail distribution channels, resurgences in new COVID-19 cases have caused governments to strengthen or reintroduce restrictive measures, which were eventually eased again. However, traffic to its retail locations did not reach pre-pandemic levels. In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the company enhanced online and phone sales and support, equipped 12,000 call centre agents to work from home, retrained thousands of team members as service agents and introduced innovative remote installation practices. The company also encouraged customers to take advantage of MyBell online and mobile self-serve options and launched enhanced online and appointment-based sales options. The sales team further moved to virtual meetings for business customers and handled sales remotely to minimize or eliminate, as applicable, contact with customers in accordance with government guidelines. Bell Media Bell Media’s TV and OOH advertising customer base is consisted primarily of large advertising agencies, which place advertisements with Bell Media on behalf of their customers. Bell Media also has contracts with a variety of broadcasting distribution undertakings (BDUs), under which monthly subscription fees for specialty TV, pay TV and streaming services are earned. Bell Media’s radio broadcast customer base is consisted of both advertising agencies and businesses in local markets. Bell Media’s conventional TV networks are delivered to Canadians through over-the-air broadcast transmission and through distribution by BDUs. Bell Media’s specialty TV, pay TV channels and streaming services are delivered through distribution arrangements with BDUs, and its radio programming is distributed through over-the-air transmission. In addition to these primary distribution channels, Bell Media also distributes its video and radio programming through a variety of non-traditional means, such as mobile and Internet streaming (iHeartRadio). Crave is available through participating TV providers across Canada, which provide the added opportunity to access the Crave linear channels on traditional set-top boxes, as well as via on demand channels, through the Crave app and online at Crave.ca. Crave is also available directly via the Internet at Crave.ca and via the Crave app. Crave can be streamed on the web and partner platforms, such as iOS and Android mobile devices, Apple TV, Android TV, Amazon Fire TV, Bell Streamer, Chromecast, Roku, Smart TVs, Sony PlayStation and Xbox One. Finally, Bell Media’s OOH business delivers its services through an inventory of OOH faces and street furniture equipment in key urban cities across the country. Networks The company continues to work with key vendor partners to expand its national multi-service IP-enabled networks. The company’s communications networks provide wireless and wireline voice, data and video services to customers across Canada. The company’s infrastructure includes national transport networks for voice, data and video traffic, including Internet traffic; urban and rural access networks and infrastructure for delivering services to customers; and national wireless networks that provide voice, data and video services. Wireless To provide wireless connectivity, the company has deployed and operate a number of nationwide wireless broadband networks compatible with global standards that deliver high-quality and reliable voice and high-speed data services. With its high-speed data network, the company is able to offer Canadian consumers a broad range of choice in wireless smartphones, as well as touch screen tablets, IoT devices and other devices designed for data services, such as video and audio streaming, IoT communications, e-mail, messaging, Internet access and social networking. HSPA+ Network The company’s wireless HSPA+ network offered high-speed mobile access to the Canadian population, covering thousands of cities and towns in both urban and rural locations. The HSPA+ network supports global roaming, as well as a wide range of smartphones, data cards, universal serial bus (USB) sticks, tablets and other leading-edge mobile devices. Bell supports international roaming to over 230 outbound destinations (208 of them also supporting 4G LTE). The vast majority of the site connectivity for the HSPA+ network was built with high-speed fibre and an all-IP architecture for enhanced reliability. 4G LTE Network With Bell’s 4G LTE wireless network coverage, customers have data access speeds similar to those of broadband connections and significantly faster than the company’s HSPA+ network, making it easier for users to download applications, stream high-definition videos and music, play online games or videoconference and chat with virtually no delays or buffering. The HSPA+ and LTE networks work together such that all Bell LTE devices support both networks. The company’s LTE wireless network reached more than 99% of the Canadian population coast-to-coast as of December 31, 2021 with theoretical peak download speeds of up to 150 Mbps, with expected average download speeds of 18 to 40 Mbps. LTE accounts for over 95% of the company’s total wireless data traffic. On April 30, 2019, Bell completed the previously announced shutdown of its legacy 3G code division multiple access (CDMA) network, and customers in CDMA coverage areas were transitioned to Bell’s 4G LTE network. The shutdown of Bell’s CDMA network enabled Bell to re-farm additional low-band spectrum for 5G services and to repurpose existing structures, fibre connections and power systems to further enhance its next-generation LTE networks. LTE-A Network With Dual-band LTE-A technology, Bell generally delivers theoretical peak download speeds of up to 260 Mbps (expected average download speeds of 18 to 74 Mbps). By assigning three radio channels or carriers to one user, the company generally delivers, with Tri-band LTE Advanced (LTE-A) technology, theoretical mobile data peak download speeds of up to 335 Mbps (expected average download speeds of 25 to 100 Mbps). With the addition of MIMO technologies and quadrature amplitude modulation (QAM), the company can delivers in certain areas theoretical peak download speeds of up to 800 Mbps with Dual-band LTE-A technology and 1.2 Gbps with Tri-band LTE-A technology. Bell’s LTE network is also capable of delivering Quad-band LTE-A service. Quad-band technology leverages four bands of wireless spectrum to boost LTE-A speeds to the gigabit level. In addition to employing a combination of carrier aggregation, Bell also uses 256 QAM and 4X4 MIMO technologies to increase spectrum efficiency and multiply capacity. In 2018, Bell rolled out its enhanced Gigabit LTE-A network to core locations in Toronto and Kingston, and has since expanded to more areas as smartphones that support these advanced speeds have come to market. Gigabit LTE-A is available in select cities across Canada. Quad-band LTE-A now offers theoretical mobile data peak download speeds of up to 1.5 Gbps in markets across Canada (expected average download speeds of 25 to 325 Mbps). LTE-M Network In 2018, Bell launched a new LTE-M network, which is a subset of the company’s LTE network supporting low-power IoT applications with enhanced coverage, longer device battery life and lower costs for IoT devices connecting to Bell’s national network. In 2019, Bell announced an expanded reciprocal roaming partnership with AT&T Inc. (AT&T) to provide Canadian business customers with access to AT&T’s LTE-M network across the United States. The reciprocal agreement also enables AT&T’s customers to roam on Bell’s national LTE-M network in Canada. The company’s LTE-M network is available in most Canadian provinces. 5G Network In June 2020, Bell launched its 5G wireless network, offering enhanced mobile data speeds and the latest 5G-capable smartphones. In 2021, Bell acquired significant additional mid-band, flexible-use 3500 MHz wireless spectrum in the auction by ISED. Essential to Canada’s ongoing transition to 5G communications, these high-capacity airwaves extend Bell’s leadership in delivering enhanced 5G digital experiences to Canadian consumers and businesses in urban, rural and remote communities. In addition, Bell expanded its 5G network to new markets across Québec, Ontario, the Atlantic provinces and Manitoba. Wireline Voice and Data Network The company’s national voice and data network consists of an optical fibre network with the latest technologies to provide redundancy and fault protection. It reaches all major Canadian metropolitan centres, as well as New York, Chicago, Boston, Buffalo, Detroit, Minneapolis, Ashburn (Virginia) and Seattle in the United States. The company’s network in major Canadian cities provides state-of-the-art high-speed access at gigabit speeds based on IP technology. The company operates a national IP multi-protocol label switching network with international gateways to the rest of the world. This network delivers next-generation, business-grade IP virtual private network (IP VPN) services that connect the company’s customers’ offices throughout Canada and around the world. The IP VPN service is the foundation platform required for the delivery of business service solutions that add value and efficiencies to customers’ businesses. These technology solutions include voice over IP/IP telephony, IP videoconferencing, IP call centre applications and other future IP-based applications. In addition, the company maintains extensive copper and voice-switching networks that provide traditional local and interexchange voice and data services to all business and residential customers in Ontario, Québec, the Atlantic provinces and Manitoba. In April 2021, Bell announced commercial 400 gigabit wavelength service deployed across major spans of Bell’s fibre infrastructure to deliver significantly increased connectivity speed and capacity while optimizing network performance and energy efficiency. 400 gigabit technology increases fibre capacity using less network hardware and more automation to deliver four times the data speed and 50% more capacity per wavelength. Key traffic routes span more than 25,000 kilometres across Canada and into the United States. On November 16, 2021, Bell and Nokia announced the first successful test of 25G PON fibre broadband technology in North America, which validates that current GPON and XGS-PON broadband technology and future 25G PON can work seamlessly together on the same fibre hardware, which is being deployed throughout the network. 25G PON delivers significant symmetrical bandwidth capacity that will support new use cases, such as premium service and 5G transport. High-Speed Fibre Deployment The company’s strategic imperative to build the best networks focuses on the expansion of its all-fibre network to more homes and business locations. Over the past few years, the company has upgraded its access infrastructure by deploying fibre closer to its customers using FTTN with pair bonding technology, and overlaying legacy copper and FTTN with FTTP. In addition, Bell continues to deploy FTTP to all new urban and suburban housing developments in Ontario, Québec, the Atlantic provinces and Manitoba, in addition to Bell’s ongoing deployment of FTTP to multi-dwelling units and business locations. In its view, FTTP, in which optical fibre cables are used to connect each and every location, is the best available network architecture to support future bandwidth-demanding IP services and applications. The company’s residential fibre-optic Internet service, marketed as Fibe Internet and Virgin Plus Internet, is enabled by its FTTP and FTTN networks, offering total download access speeds of up to 1.5 Gbps with FTTP through its Gigabit Fibe 1.5 service, or download speeds of up to 100 Mbps with FTTN. In addition to the significant deployments of FTTP direct fibre connections announced in prior years which continued throughout the Greater Toronto Area/905 region surrounding Toronto and on the island of Montréal, the company has announced a number of new direct fibre expansions in the past few years, in line with its strategic imperative to build the best networks. In addition to several direct fibre deployment projects announced in a number of smaller communities over the past few years, on March 22, 2021, Bell announced that it will roll out high-speed Internet service to several unserved areas of Québec in partnership with the governments of Canada and Québec as part of their Operation High Speed initiative to connect all Québecers by September 2022. The Bell project will provide 100% fibre Internet connections to approximately 31,000 homes and businesses in nearly 100 Québec communities. In 2021, Bell subsidiary Northwestel Inc. also began offering all-fibre service to customers in Dawson City, Watson Lake and Upper Liard in Yukon as part of a three-year initiative to provide high-speed Internet to 10,000 homes and businesses across Yukon and the Northwest Territories. This follows the rollout of all-fibre connections to Hay River and Inuvik in the Northwest Territories in 2020 and 2021. Bell further announced multiple projects in the summer and fall of 2021 to bring pure fibre Internet service to additional homes and businesses in Ontario, Québec, the Atlantic provinces and Manitoba. These projects form part of Bell’s accelerated capital expenditures in national next-generation network infrastructure announced on February 4, 2021, and further enhanced on May 31, 2021. As of December 31, 2021, approximately 6.2 million homes and businesses across Ontario, Québec, the Atlantic provinces and Manitoba had the capability of receiving up to 1.5 Gigabit Fibe service. In addition, the company’s combined FTTP and FTTN broadband fibre network covered approximately 10 million premises in Ontario, Québec, the Atlantic provinces and Manitoba. In addition to its Fibe Internet service, the company offers Internet under the Virgin Plus brand for customers in Ontario and Québec. This high-speed Internet service offers existing Virgin Plus customers download speeds of up to 100 Mbps and upload speeds of up to 10 Mbps. Additionally, the company continues to deploy its next-generation IPTV services in areas in Ontario, Québec, the Atlantic provinces and Manitoba where cable providers had long been dominant. As of December 31, 2021, the company’s IPTV services had the capacity to service approximately 9.1 million homes in major cities and municipalities across Ontario, Québec, the Atlantic provinces and Manitoba. WTTP Following successful WTTP trials in the 3.5 GHz band using 8T8R and MIMO radio technologies, Bell began the buildout of WTTP to rural locations in Ontario and Québec in the second quarter of 2018. Bell’s WTTP footprint enables its Wireless Home Internet broadband service and complements its FTTP network. In April 2020, as part of its response to the COVID-19 crisis, Bell announced the acceleration of its Wireless Home Internet rollout in rural Canada to approximately 137,000 additional homes by the end of April 2020. In addition, Bell expanded its Wireless Home Internet rollout to rural communities throughout the Atlantic provinces starting in the fall of 2020. In June 2021, Bell launched its Wireless Home Internet service in Manitoba with rollouts to eligible locations in 12 communities. In 2021, Bell completed the buildout of its Wireless Home Internet service in smaller towns and rural communities across Ontario, Québec, the Atlantic provinces and Manitoba, reaching its target of 1 million locations one year ahead of schedule. The accelerated rollout of its Wireless Home Internet service forms part of Bell’s accelerated capital expenditures in national next-generation network infrastructure announced on February 4, 2021 and further enhanced on May 31, 2021. WTTP is 5G-capable fixed wireless technology delivered over Bell’s wireless network using 3500 MHz spectrum to deliver high-speed Internet service to residents in smaller and underserved communities. Already delivering download speeds of up to 25 Mbps, Bell increased its Wireless Home Internet service’s Internet download speeds to up to 50 Mbps and uploads to 10 Mbps (50/10) in the fall of 2020, which enhanced speeds are now available to a majority of customers. Innovation in WTTP complements Bell’s extensive broadband fibre buildout in urban markets, and its deployment of WTTP in rural locations underscores its focus on the full utilization of Bell’s assigned wireless spectrum resources. DSL The company also offers DSL-based Internet service in areas where Fibe Internet and Wireless Home Internet are not available, with download speeds of up to 5 Mbps. Satellite TV Service The company provides satellite TV service nationwide under the Bell TV brand using satellites operated by Telesat Canada (Telesat). Pursuant to a set of commercial arrangements between Bell ExpressVu Limited Partnership (Bell ExpressVu) and Telesat, Bell ExpressVu has two satellites under contract with Telesat. Telesat operates or directs the operation of these satellites, which are used by Bell ExpressVu to provide its satellite TV service. Products and Services Bell Wireless This segment provides integrated digital wireless voice and data communication products and services to residential and business customers across Canada. This segment includes the results of operations of Bell Mobility Inc. (Bell Mobility) and its national consumer electronics retailer, The Source (Bell) Electronics Inc. (The Source). Networks and Reach The company holds wireless spectrum licences, with holdings across various spectrum bands and regions across Canada, totalling more than 6.4 billion megahertz per population (MHz-Pop), corresponding to an average of approximately 182 megahertz (MHz) of spectrum per Canadian. The vast majority of the company’s cell towers are connected with fibre, the latest network infrastructure technology, for a faster and more reliable connection. The company’s Fourth Generation (4G) Long-term Evolution (LTE) and LTE Advanced (LTE-A) nationwide wireless broadband networks are compatible with global standards and delivers high-quality and reliable voice and high-speed data services to virtually all of the Canadian population. The company’s 5G network, the next generation of wireless technology, is available in cities, towns and communities across Canada, with full deployment over the next few years. The company’s LTE network will be the backbone for its 5G network as it expands across Canada. Bell also operates a LTE-category M1 (LTE-M) network, which is a subset of its LTE network, supporting low-power IoT applications with enhanced coverage, longer device battery life and lower costs for IoT devices connecting to Bell’s national network. The company’s LTE-M network is available in most Canadian provinces. The company has more than 6,000 retail points of distribution across Canada, including approximately 1,100 Bell, Virgin Plus, Lucky Mobile (Lucky) and The Source locations, as well as Glentel-operated locations (WIRELESSWAVE, Tbooth wireless and WIRELESS etc.) and other third-party dealer and retail locations. Products and Services Data and Voice Plans: From plans focused on affordability to premium services, the company has plans that cater to all customer segments, available on either postpaid or prepaid options, including unlimited data, shareable, device financing plans and Connect Everything plans. The company’s services provide fast Internet access for video, social networking, messaging and mobile applications, as well as a host of call features. Specialized Plans: For tablets, smartwatches, Connected Car, trackers, laptops, security cameras and mobile Internet. Extensive Selection of Devices: The latest 5G, 4G LTE and LTE-A smartphones, tablets, smartwatches, mobile Internet hubs and sticks, mobile Internet devices and connected things (Bell Connected Car, trackers, connected home, lifestyle products and virtual reality). Travel: Roaming services with other wireless service providers in more than 230 outbound destinations worldwide with LTE roaming in 208 outbound destinations and 5G roaming in several international destinations, Roam Better feature and Travel Passes. Mobile Business Solutions: Push-to-talk, field service management, worker safety and mobility management. IoT Solutions: Asset management, smart buildings, smart cities, fleet management and other IoT services. Bell Wireline This segment provides data, including Internet access and IPTV, voice, comprising local telephone and long distance, as well as other communication services and products to residential, small and medium-sized business and large enterprise customers, primarily in Ontario, Québec, the Atlantic provinces and Manitoba, while satellite TV service and connectivity to business customers are available nationally across Canada. The company also offers competitive local exchange carrier (CLEC) services in Alberta and British Columbia. This segment includes the results of the company’s wholesale business, which buys and sells local telephone, long distance, data and other services from or to resellers and other carriers, and the wireline operations of Northwestel Inc. (Northwestel), which provides telecommunications services in Canada’s Northern Territories. Networks and Reach Extensive local access network in Ontario, Québec, the Atlantic provinces and Manitoba, as well as in Canada’s Northern Territories. Broadband fibre network, consisting of fibre-to-the-premise (FTTP) and fibre-to-the-node (FTTN) locations, covering approximately 10 million homes and businesses in Ontario, Québec, the Atlantic provinces and Manitoba. The company’s FTTP direct fibre footprint encompassed approximately 6.2 million homes and commercial locations at the end of 2021, representing the largest FTTP footprint in Canada. Wireless-to-the-premise (WTTP) footprint covering approximately 1 million locations primarily in rural areas. WTTP is 5G-capable fixed wireless technology delivered over Bell’s LTE wireless network that provides broadband residential Internet access to smaller and underserved communities. Largest Internet protocol (IP) multi-protocol label switching footprint of any Canadian provider, enabling the company to offer business customers a virtual private network (VPN) service for IP traffic and to optimize bandwidth for real-time voice and TV. Approximately 700 Bell and Virgin Plus locations. Products and Services Residential Internet: High-speed Internet access through fibre optic broadband technology, 5G-capable WTTP technology or digital subscriber line (DSL) with a wide range of options, including reliable Wi-Fi, unlimited usage, security services and mobile Internet. The company’s Internet service, marketed as Fibe Internet, offers total download access speeds of up to 1.5 Gbps with FTTP or download speeds of up to 100 Mbps with FTTN, while its WHI fixed wireless service delivers broadband download speeds of up to 50 Mbps. The company also offers Internet service under the Virgin Plus brand offering download speeds of up to 100 Mbps. TV: IPTV services (Fibe TV, Fibe TV app and Virgin Plus TV) and satellite TV service. Bell Fibe TV provides extensive content options with full high-definition (HD) and 4K resolution (4K) Whole Home personal video recorder (PVR), 4K Ultra HD programming, on-demand content and innovative features, including wireless receivers, the Fibe TV app, Restart and access to Crave, Netflix, Prime Video and YouTube. The Fibe TV app live TV streaming service offers live and on-demand programming on Bell Streamer, Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV, Google Chromecast, smartphones, tablets, computers and other devices with no traditional TV set-top box (STB) required. Bell Streamer is a 4K high dynamic range (HDR) streaming device powered by Android TV offering all-in-one access to the Fibe TV app, support for all major streaming services and access to thousands of apps on Google Play. The company also offers an app-based live TV streaming service branded as Virgin Plus TV. Home Phone: Local telephone service, long distance and advanced calling features. Smart Home: Home security, monitoring and automation services from Bell Smart Home. Bundles: Multi-product bundles of Internet, TV, home phone and smart home services with monthly discounts. Business Internet and Private Networks: Business Internet, Ethernet, IP VPN, Wavelength, global network solutions, and software-defined solutions. Communications: IP telephony, local and long distance, audio, video and web conferencing and webcasting, and contact centre solutions. Cloud: Cloud computing, cloud connect, cloud backup and disaster recovery, and cloud managed services. Other: Security, managed services, and professional services. Bell Media This segment includes Canada’s leading content creation company with premier assets in TV, radio and OOH, monetized through traditional and digital platforms. This segment also includes revenues are derived primarily from advertising and subscriber fees, such as conventional TV, radio and OOH revenues are derived from advertising; specialty TV revenue is generated from subscription fees and advertising; and pay TV revenue is derived from subscription fees. Brands SHOWTIME: Content licensing and trademark agreement for past, present and future SHOWTIME-owned programming. STARZ: Long-term agreement with Lionsgate for premium STARZ programming in Canada. iHeartRadio: Exclusive partnership for digital and streaming music services in Canada. Products and Services Advertising on the company’s TV, radio and OOH properties to both local and national advertisers across a wide range of industry sectors. Crave bilingual subscription-based on-demand TV streaming service offering a large collection of premium content in one place, including HBO, HBO Max, SHOWTIME, STARZ and Super Écran programming, on STBs, mobile devices, streaming devices and online. Crave is offered through a number of Canadian TV providers and is available directly to all Canadian Internet subscribers as an OTT service. TSN Direct and RDS Direct streaming services offering live and on-demand TSN and RDS content directly to consumers through an annual, monthly or single-day subscription on computers, tablets, mobile devices, Apple TV and other streaming devices. Media Assets The company owns Crave, a subscription video-on-demand streaming service providing premium content and a lineup of video programming. Crave features a catalogue of content and Emmy Award-winning programming. With Crave, HBO, HBO Max, SHOWTIME and STARZ programming, as well as box-office hits, are available directly to all Canadians with access to the Internet. Crave, also a bilingual service, offers English and French-language content through participating TV providers and streaming platforms. Bell Media’s Super Écran is also available over-the-top (OTT) as an add-on to Crave. In May 2020, Bell Media welcomed French-language conventional TV network V and the ad-supported video-on-demand service Noovo.ca with the completion of their acquisition from Groupe V Média Inc. Bell Media rebranded V as Noovo beginning on August 31, 2020. With Noovo, Bell Media has established a singular brand in Québec for both a traditional TV network and its popular digital platform. Viewers could access the integrated brand’s content at any time, on any screen. With this change, Bell Media has transformed an existing local digital brand into an accessible, integrated, multi-platform destination, enabling Bell Media to ties with its audience. With the launch of the 2020 fall season, CTV introduced its all-in-one digital video platform. Now streaming from CTV.ca and the CTV app on smartphones, Smart TVs and other connected devices, audiences could get value for their TV subscriptions all in one place, with livestreams and on-demand viewing of programming from CTV Comedy Channel, CTV Drama Channel, CTV Sci-Fi Channel, CTV Life Channel, CTV2 and MTV, as well as Canada’s lineup from CTV. The company provides live and on-demand access to content from its specialty networks, BNN Bloomberg, TSN, RDS, and other brands in news, sports and entertainment. Its competitive strengths also include its reach across Canada, its ability to deliver top programming for conventional, specialty and pay TV and streaming services, its drive to provide the engaging and interactive experience for viewers, and its ability to serve the needs of advertisers across multiple platforms. Regulatory Environment During the last three financial years, the development of the company's business has been affected by decisions made by the Government of Canada and its relevant departments and agencies, including the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC), Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada (ISED), Canadian Heritage and the Competition Bureau. History BCE Inc. was founded in 1880. The company was incorporated in 1970.