MONTREAL -- Bell Canada is launching its new high-speed wireless network tomorrow and views it as a major engine of growth despite a still-difficult economic climate, chief executive officer George Cope says.
The new launch date - it was previously slated to coincide with the Winter Olympic Games in Vancouver in February - means Bell will have its network up and running a day before rival Telus Corp. hits the switch on its own new advanced network.
Bell is counting on its wireless unit to be its fastest-growing business over the next decade, and it has put some of the cash saved from cost-cutting efforts into programs to improve wireless service, Mr. Cope told a business luncheon yesterday.
"We're investing right in line with our competitors on a global basis," he said, vowing to act aggressively to win back market share from wireless leader Rogers Communications Inc.
At the same time, Bell is well aware of the constraints to growth right now, given the tough economic conditions.
"The economy is not recovering yet. It may not be getting worse, but we certainly don't see any signs of it getting better," he said.
Mr. Cope touted the benefits of Bell's new HSPA wireless service, saying it will be the fastest in Canada and provide the largest coverage area.
It will also allow Bell to offer a wide range of smart phones, including the hottest one of all - the Apple iPhone. Both Telus and Bell can offer the iPhone now that rival Rogers no longer has the exclusive rights.
Describing Bell's new wireless service as the most significant technology announcement for the company in the past 25 years, Mr. Cope told the Canadian Club it is a "game-changer for Bell and I'd say for our competition as well."
In an interview, telecom consultant Iain Grant said that for all Mr. Cope's talk of being ahead of the curve, moves by Bell and Telus on the wireless front appear to be more protective than anything else.
"This is very much a defensive move. They had to do something," he said about the rollout of their respective new HSPA (high-speed packet access) networks.
"Rogers must feel that imitation is the best form of flattery, since Bell and Telus have decided to do what Rogers has already done, move to HSPA," said Mr. Grant, of consultancy SeaBoard Group.
Bell and Telus have combined forces to build the new $1-billion HSPA network, which is an extension of their existing third-generation (3G) networks.
Mr. Cope - who is also president and CEO of Bell parent BCE Inc. - said after his presentation that Canadian consumers stand to benefit from the increasingly competitive wireless landscape.
"No one would be mistaken that there is not new competition coming to the Canadian wireless industry," he said.
New entrants poised to enter the marketplace in coming months include Quebecor Inc.'s Vidéotron Ltée, DAVE Wireless Inc. and Public Mobile Holdings Inc.
Mr. Cope welcomed the recent CRTC ruling that Globalive Wireless Management Corp. fails to meet Canadian ownership requirements, stalling its cellphone launch.
"It will be up to Globalive to address those issues," he told reporters.
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