MONTREAL – Bell said Monday that it will invest an additional $854 million in Montreal to extend its fibre to the home (FTTH) connections to 1.1 million more residences and business locations throughout the city.
The expansion will install over 7,000 km of new fibre and upgrade 25 central offices across Montreal, providing access to Bell Gigabit Fibe Internet services. More than 90% of Bell's network in the city is on aerial structures already in place, which the company said will help to speed the deployment of the new direct fibre links. The company has already deployed its Bell Gigabit Fibe infrastructure in Toronto and Quebec City.
Bell called the investment “the largest-ever communications infrastructure project in Québec”, and estimated that the project will create approximately 2,700 direct and indirect jobs in the province and an additional $2.2 billion in new economic activity.
"Bell was founded in Montréal in 1880 and ever since we have led the way in delivering the latest communications innovations to the city and the country”, said George Cope, president and CEO of BCE and Bell Canada, in the news release. “Now, our plan to directly connect more than a million homes and businesses here with the fastest broadband fibre technology will ensure Montréal's place at the forefront of global Smart Cities".
Bell pledged to work closely with the city to manage the deployment, including partnering with Montreal's 3-1-1 information service to answer questions from residents and provide updates on service availability. Mayor of Montreal Denis Coderre said that the new infrastructure will help to attract new businesses.
"There is a direct and positive correlation between access to an ultra-fast Internet network and a community's economic development”, added Mayor Coderre. “Especially for a city like Montréal, known for its dynamic digital sector and the expertise of its cutting-edge industries like video gaming, aerospace and health technologies, today's announcement packs tremendous economic potential."
Bell added that its fibre will reach approximately 40% of homes and businesses throughout Quebec by the end of this year.
