Bell accelerates expansion of 4G LTE wireless service to small communities across Canada

• LTE mobile service now available to 120 additional small towns and communities in Ontario and Québec as part of Bell's ongoing national 4G expansion
• Rollout to rural communities and remote locations including Canada's North will bring super-fast mobile LTE to 98% of the Canadian population by the end of 2015
• Consumers and business customers benefit from the most powerful smartphones and mobile apps

MONTREAL, Feb. 25, 2015 /CNW Telbec/ - Bell today announced that 120 more small communities across Québec and Ontario have joined Bell Mobility's world-leading 4G LTE wireless network. Employing new 700 MHz bandwidth and other spectrum assets, Bell is expanding Fourth Generation (4G) LTE services to small towns, rural communities and remote locations in every region of Canada including the North. Bell earlier announced the launch of 4G LTE service in 52 small communities across all 4 provinces in Atlantic Canada and will make further LTE rollout announcements in 2015.

Bell LTE already covers 86% of the national population and the company plans to bring its next generation network to more than 98% of Canadians this year with its ongoing expansion to smaller communities.

"Bell is proud to offer consumers and businesses everywhere the benefits of high quality, high bandwidth mobile data access made possible by LTE," said Wade Oosterman, President of Bell Mobility. "From Sainte-Anne-de-la-Pocatière to Grafton, Pickle Lake to Bromont, customers can now access the same great broadband service and mobile applications as customers in major centres across Canada. For people living, working or travelling in rural Québec and Ontario, wireless just got better."

Bell will be adding still more small communities to its 4G LTE coverage map throughout the year. In addition to the 120 smaller communities with new LTE service, Bell is also expanding LTE in and around a number of cities and towns where service has already been launched, including Peterborough, Maitland and North Bay in Ontario, and Rigaud, Saint-Alexandre-D'Iberville and Sainte-Julie in Québec.

4G LTE is today's worldwide gold standard for wireless technology. To support its expansion to smaller communities, Bell is employing new 700 MHz spectrum, airwaves that provide both strong in-building connections and reliable coverage over longer distances, vital to network expansion in rural Canada. Bell acquired a significant amount of 700 MHz spectrum in every national market in the federal government's spectrum auction early in 2014, and in April was the first company in Canada to launch 700 MHz LTE service.

Since 2006, Bell has invested over $7 billion to build its advanced wireless networks across the country. With Bell's significant investments in mobile broadband networks and service innovation, Canadians are rapidly adopting smartphones and quickly becoming world leaders in usage of on-the-go data services like mobile TV and mobile banking.

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.

SOURCE Bell Canada