With landlines collecting dust and cable TV hanging by a thread, Bell is betting big on its next act: powering AI models.
What happened: BCE is building a network of AI data centres across Canada, with the first set to open in Kamloops, B.C., in June. It’s the start of what the telco says will become the country’s largest AI computing cluster, eventually spanning six sites across B.C., Manitoba, and Québec.
- Fellow telco Telus just announced this week that it will also be building AI data centres in B.C. and Québec as part of a $70 billion infrastructure investment.
Why it matters: Bell’s data centre project is part of a growing push in Canada to develop “sovereign AI.” The idea is that by building infrastructure domestically, the country has more control over its AI ecosystem and can rely less on a handful of foreign tech giants.
- Ottawa has earmarked $2 billion over five years to help Canadian companies and researchers access AI computing power at home, while Alberta’s government has been actively recruiting companies to build data centres in the province.
Zoom out: If AI does become a daily fixture of businesses and government, having data centres at home will be necessary to protect the country’s technological supply chain and safeguard its data.—LA