Government hails telecom investment in AI

The federal government is congratulating Canadian telecom firms for investing in artificial intelligence (AI) with multi-billion dollar projects. May 27, Telus Corp. announced it is spending $70 billion over five years to expand its network infrastructure across the country. The next day BCE Inc. announced it was creating Bell Fabric, an AI compute project. Innovation, Science and Economic Development (ISED) put out a news release on May 29 in the names of Industry Minister Mélanie Joly (Ahuntsic-Cartierville, Que.) and AI Minister Evan Solomon (Toronto-Centre, Ont.). They endorsed the news. “The government of Canada welcomes recent announcements from leading telecommunications companies such as Bell and Telus about their plans to build the critical infrastructure to power Canada’s AI advantage,” the statement said. “These forward-looking private sector investments will help create high-quality jobs in Canada, open up new opportunities for workers at home and strengthen Canada’s position as an AI leader.” Included among the Telus announcement are two sovereign AI factories in Kamloops, B.C. and Rimouski, Que. “These secure facilities provide Canadian businesses and researchers access to cutting-edge technology, ensuring every piece of data, computation and breakthrough created will remain within our borders,” the company stated. The Bell Fabric rollout did not have a price tag attached to it. The new division will feature a data centre supercluster in B.C. with six facilities. “With cutting-edge technology and ensuring data sovereignty, Bell is poised to lead the way in delivering secure, reliable, and transformative AI solutions for businesses and communities across the country,” the firm said in a statement. Telus announced on May 29 that $15 billion of the $70 billion will be spent in British Columbia. It reiterated that Kamloops will house an AI centre. The first Bell AI facility will open in Kamloops next month. The second will be operating in Merritt, B.C. by the end of the year. Two more will open in Kamloops in 2026 and 2027. Locations and timelines for the other two centres were not provided. news@thewirereport.ca

Government hails telecom investment in AI

Telecom |
By Wire Report Staff
| May 29, 2025

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Government hails telecom investment in AI

Telecom | By Wire Report Staff | May 29, 2025

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Telecom |
By Wire Report Staff
| May 29, 2025