BCE surpasses forecasts, touts FTTX strategy

Buoyed by strong wireless sales, a factor that will likely continue into the next quarter with the introduction of the iPhone, BCE reported that Q4 09 revenue increased 3.9 percent year-on-year to $4.3 billion.

While residential local and access revenues declined by 6.1 percent to $775 million, increased adoption of TV and electronic equipment sales from its acquisition of retailer 'The Source' in BCE's Bell Canada subsidiary helped drive wireline operating revenues up 4.2 percent. Likewise, wireline operating revenue increased 29.3 percent because of higher EBITDA and lower restructuring costs. Bell's operating revenues for 2009 were up 0.2 percent to $10.6 million. At the same time, local and access revenues were down 6.1 percent to $775 million in Q4, a result of ongoing residential and business network access services (NAS) erosion.  

A key initiative for Bell Canada's wireline division in 2010 is its three-year Fiber to the X deployment plan. Similar to its U.S. counterpart AT&T, Bell is taking a pronged strategy to FTTX. It will bring Fiber to the Home (FTTH) in all Greenfield urban and suburban housing developments in Ontario and Quebec starting in the second half of this year along with its ongoing Fiber to the Business (FTTB) that it already has underway.

In existing Brownfield areas, Bell will complete its Fiber to the Node (FTTN) roll out in Toronto and Montreal this quarter, offering VDSL2 capabilities to 1.8 million homes. By the end of 2010, Bell said its VDSL2 will be available on 100 percent of its FTTN network with an IPTV offering that will complement its existing Bell TV satellite service. Earlier this week, Bell unveiled the four speed tiers for its 'Fibe' FTTN service.

For more:
- see the release here
- Telegeography also has this analysis

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