WINNIPEG — MTS has been put out to pasture like its long-serving Bison mascot, Morty.
Bell MTS, the new company formed out of the $3.9 billion acquisition by Bell Canada of MTS, officially launched in Manitoba on Friday.
Along with a new name and brand, the company also flicked the switch on a new 4G LTE network in Churchill.
As previously announced, MTS CEO Jay Forbes departed the company as part of the telco transaction. Heading up Bell MTS will be Dan McKeen, vice chair, Bell MTS and Western Canada, who will also continue to serve in a national role as senior VP, small business.
Bell MTS is also rolling out a five-year, $1 billion broadband network expansion for Manitoba’s cities, traffic corridors, rural locations and remote communities.
Current MTS wireless price plans will remain in place for at least 12 months. Local retail stores will be integrated to offer MTS and Bell wireless, TV, Internet and home phone services. Bell MTS wireless services will also become available at The Source, Tbooth wireless and WirelessWave locations throughout Manitoba.
Bell MTS has announced these initial projects in its Manitoba capital investment program:
- Sponsorship of Winnipeg’s downtown Innovation Alley hub for students, creators and entrepreneurs including superfast LTE-Advanced mobile and Gigabit Fibe Internet services
- Continuous broadband wireless coverage along Manitoba’s critical north-south transportation corridor, Highways 6 and 75 from Manitoba’s “Hub of the North” Thompson to the US border at Emerson.
- Expansion of mobile and wireline broadband networks in the mining centre of Flin Flon on the Saskatchewan border.
- New wireless services for smaller towns and remote locations, including 5 underserved Indigenous communities: Easterville, Gods Lake Narrows, Gods River, Grand Rapids and Red Sucker Lake.
Winnipeg will serve as Bell’s headquarters in Western Canada.
