Bell CEO Mirko Bibic isn’t holding back. In response to a CRTC decision that benefits Telus, Bibic announced Bell is slashing its fibre expansion plans, calling the regulator’s move a disaster for investment and competition.
The CRTC ruled that big telcos like Telus can resell Bell’s fibre network in areas where they don’t own infrastructure. Bell argues this kills the incentive to build new networks, since competitors can profit off Bell’s investment without taking on the risk.
Bibic made his frustration clear on the company’s Q4 earning’s call earlier this week. “To put it bluntly, we’re not in the business of building fibre for Telus’s benefit, and that’s what the CRTC policy that’s in place right now forces us to do,” he said, reports the Canadian Press.
He also criticized the timing, saying the ruling discourages investment when Canada is already struggling with lagging productivity.
“I don’t understand why a regulator would put in place policies that create disincentives to investment, puts jobs at risk, and puts at risk the building out of critical infrastructure,” said the Bell CEO.
While the CRTC says its goal is to support smaller internet providers, Bibic insists that real competition comes from companies building their own networks, not piggybacking off others.
As a direct result of the ruling, Bell will not reach its target of expanding fibre to 8.3 million homes by 2025. The company had already cut $1 billion from its network investment plans last year, and Bibic says more cuts are coming unless the CRTC reverses course.
“We will revisit our build-out plan if the CRTC reverses its decision,” said Bibic.
While pulling back in Canada, Bell is pushing ahead with a $5 billion purchase of U.S. fibre provider Ziply Fiber. Bibic defended the move, arguing that Bell wants to compete in markets where companies build their own infrastructure, rather than relying on regulator-mandated access to someone else’s network.
This isn’t the first time we’ve seen Bell slam the federal government for its woes. In November 2023, Bell announced it would cut $1 billion in network investments, blaming the CRTC’s stance on wholesale access. Last February, Bell announced 4,800 job cuts, blaming the federal government, while also limiting its fibre internet speeds to 3 Gbps, again laying the blame on the CRTC.
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Bell is such a stupid and hypocritical company. They used the Rogers network for dead spot areas when they switched from CDMA to GSM back in the late 2000’s. They fought tooth and nail to pay Rogers bare minimum while they spent years improving their network to the point where it could finally work without Rogers roaming.
The CRTC helped them do this because it was in the best interest of the consumer. Borrowing a fibre network is no different, except it’s even cheaper to build and effectively has zero “risk.” It doesn’t make sense to have all three companies running redundant fibre networks all across Canada when they don’t actually compete with one another anyways (they do price fixing and they have for decades).
Mirko is a moron though, so he probably doesn’t know any better.
Bell blackmailing the CRTC by cutting investment is imo, dumb. It's like Bell wants to be THE only option for home internet, aka monopoly.
For their own infrastructure that is the case, but over all that is impossible.
Bell didn't invest all of it in the first place! Aecon was under contract by Doug Ford to build the infrastructure!
Don't forget Bell Canada and Rogers landed grants totaling CAD654.8 million from the qovernment of Ontario to run fiber in 2022. So yes, CRTC is right to ask them to share the network. Don't make it sound like you built it all yourself on your own dime.
Also I'm sick of the rate increases. Going triple the cost from introductory price!
Bell is such a stupid and hypocritical company. They used the Rogers network for dead spot areas when they switched from CDMA to GSM back in the late 2000’s. They fought tooth and nail to pay Rogers bare minimum while they spent years improving their network to the point where it could finally work without Rogers roaming.
The CRTC helped them do this because it was in the best interest of the consumer. Borrowing a fibre network is no different, except it’s even cheaper to build and effectively has zero “risk.” It doesn’t make sense to have all three companies running redundant fibre networks all across Canada when they don’t actually compete with one another anyways (they do price fixing and they have for decades).
Mirko is a moron though, so he probably doesn’t know any better.
This is why a critical infrastructure should not belong to a company but the people.
It already belongs to the people. Bell is lying with their eyes open! How dare they! Bell Canada and Rogers landed grants totaling CAD654.8 million (around $506.3 million) from the qovernment of Ontario to run fiber to underserved.
I passed by a job site by Aecon laying fiber, and the foreman himself told me they're being paid by Doug Ford to do the main fiber in the street and then it's up to Bell to hook it up to the house. So I guess now Bell wants to take the credit for investing all of it?
Running in fiber to rural residences is insanely stupid. When refugees arrived in Austria from N. Africa, the first thing they could.plained about was the poor internet service. They were used to 5G which cost them almost nothing. When I was in France last year, you could get internet, TV and phone service for $30/mo.
In 2006 I was going through a trial (against a paedophile) . I lived in Ontario and my mom lived in Quebec. So as we needed to talk Alot more than normal we got the Bell plan that was touted as "unlimited" long distance calls……..Well in the fine print was the "Limit" of this "unlimited" long distance plan. So two weeks into the month my mom and I were cut off from each other at a time during the trial that was vital!!!!
So in conclusion I/Myself and Family and Friends will NEVER EVER TRUST bell AGAIN!!! At least they lost the court battle!!!
YOU COULDN'T PAY ME TO USE THEM.!!
BE WARNED AGAINST THIS CRIMINAL COMPANY AS IT NO LONGER REPRESENTATIVE OF CANADIAN VALUES!!!
Have a great day and Good Luck. 😉
Oh just to say that Bell lost big time when this went to trial!!🍾🥂😅😆
Too much info.
Why?
Dumb, petty decisions like Bell’s attempts to blackmail, makes me want to never support Bell.
I used to work for Telus, they feared this happening to them as well. I'm sure part of their plan of expansion into the east on other operator's networks was partly to show this problem. My city was supposed to have telus fiber years ago. Still doesn't.
I wouldn't be surprised if this was why…
why invest in nice things if the government is going to force you to share with your competition?
If the city doesn't have fiber it's up to the city. That was very much the case for Calgary.
Then don't be an incumbent carrier and it wouldn't be an issue.
This is why we can't have nice things. A populace that constantly wants to screw itself but cry about it and always works backwards.
I find the comments here interesting. They are pretty one-sided. I think commenters may be conflating their dislike of Bell the company (which IMO Bell has earned) with whether the CRTC's policy makes any sense. IMO it doesn't, and "we’re not in the business of building fibre for Telus’s benefit" is a defensible point of view. YMMV!
It sounds like BCE’s real reason for dropping expansion was its need to reduce debt. They sold MLSE, and everyone thought they were cutting their debt with the proceeds, but then they turned around and bought Ziply Fiber. BCE is paying out more in dividends than it is generating in free cash flow. They need to cut back on capital expenditures and/or take on more debt. The CRTC just gave them an excuse not to invest any further in expansion.
I live in Ontario and do not have fiber internet yet. Bell has been given millions of dollars of taxpayer money to build out fiber optic networks. Now they cry about having to share it. They now own it. But it should be the people own it, and share it. Rogers is not complaining about getting millions of dollars for their network.
Ford or his friends are obviously getting kickbacks, just like every other thing Ford does… I still can't believe he's ahead in the polls after what he's done to our health system…. Look at the wait times now compared to 2019… And all that money Trudeau gave him for hospitals sitting in an account all because he doesn't want Trudeau to look good… Just let Canadians suffer… Not to mention the MASSIVE cuts for education for children with disabilities…. No wonder Ontario teachers are going on strike in areas over dangerous working conditions…
I would like to direct Bell CEO Mirko Bibic to Bell's Let's Talk since most of their callers are or were Bell employees. Bell has stolen billions from the users in Canada as well as Rogers. The CRTC have stolen from Canadians forever by promising competition and cheaper ares BUT what are we getting? Higher costs! We had cheaper, and the monopolies forced a $30 dollar surcharge on users. Open markets to the world. Cost will halve overnight.
Funny, that sack of sh.t Bibic didn't cancel the project to run fiber (50km~) to his cottage ON TAXPAYER DOLLARS.
You paid millions for that…him and his buddies at the lake could have easily afford Starlink.
Empty threats. Bell wants rid of it's copper lines (just like the American telcos) because it's maintenance headache.
It just makes sense. The copper networks should be very much phased out. But fiber also built in all areas with copper and plenty of areas without.
Nationalize the network and ALL companies will become equal as resellers.
Nobody but you believes it's that simple.
I never said it was simple
I thought bell owned Telus
Bell owns Virgin.
Ah! For some reason I always thought it was bell/Telus! Thanks
Nope, two completely separate companies.
Yeah some already said that two months ago