Bell Canada Unveils Massive AI Data Centre Initiative in British Columbia

May 28, 2025
Bell Canada Unveils Massive AI Data Centre Initiative in British Columbia
  • Bell Canada is set to launch six artificial intelligence data centres in British Columbia as part of its ambitious Bell AI Fabric initiative, aiming to establish the largest AI compute project in Canada.

  • Mirko Bibic, Bell's president and CEO, highlighted that this investment will enhance Canada's sovereign AI compute capacity and foster growth in the AI economy.

  • The initiative includes two 7 MW AI facilities scheduled to open in 2025, a 26 MW data centre at Thompson Rivers University (TRU) in 2026, and two additional facilities in advanced planning stages with capacities exceeding 400 MW.

  • While specific locations for the new data centres have not been disclosed, they are expected to be situated in major urban areas across British Columbia.

  • A significant collaboration with Thompson Rivers University will integrate a 26-megawatt facility into the campus energy system, providing advanced computing capabilities for students and faculty.

  • The project will leverage a district energy system to repurpose waste heat, aligning with sustainable practices in energy use.

  • The Canadian government is backing AI infrastructure development through its Canadian Sovereign AI Compute Strategy, which includes a $2 billion initiative to enhance access to commercial AI data centres.

  • The TRU data centre will support AI training and inference, utilizing waste heat for campus heating, thereby promoting sustainability and enhancing access to AI training tools.

  • Bell is confident in the demand for these new centres, as the market for AI computing capacity is rapidly expanding, valued in the tens of billions of dollars.

  • Despite ambitious plans, BCE is managing over $30 billion in long-term debt and has faced a significant stock price drop, leading to a dividend cut.

  • As competition intensifies in the AI data centre market, other telecom companies like Telus are also making significant investments, highlighting the growing demand for AI infrastructure.

  • This initiative is not only about expanding Bell's infrastructure but also aims to position British Columbia as a leader in sustainable AI innovation, driving job creation and economic growth.

Summary based on 14 sources


Get a daily email with more Tech stories

More Stories