Manitoba Telecom Services (MTS) shareholders have approved BCE’s plans to acquire MTS. The transaction still needs to clear a few more regulatory hurdles but is expected to close on schedule, either in late 2016 or early 2017. BCE (Bell) welcomed the decision said, saying the companies' combined operations in Manitoba will be known as Bell MTS, and Winnipeg will become Bell's Western Canada headquarters.
When the deal closes, Bell said it will invest CAD 1 billion over five years into expanding broadband wireless and fibre communications services in Manitoba. As a first step, Bell and MTS recently announced plans to complete wireless coverage along Highway 75, the vital transportation corridor linking Winnipeg and other Manitoba communities with the US border.
Bell's broadband investment will include the introduction of the Gigabit Fibe Internet service, an expansion of Bell's LTE wireless network, and the integration of the MTS Winnipeg data centre operations into Bell's national network of 27 data hosting and cloud computing centres across Canada.
With the addition of MTS's 2,700 employees, Bell's Western Canada team will grow to 6,900 people in Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta and British Columbia.
