Bell MTS

Bell MTS is the Manitoba telecommunications operation of Bell Canada and BCE Inc. The business is the successor to Manitoba Telecom Services, whose corporate lineage began with Manitoba Government Telephones. In 1908, the Government of Manitoba acquired Bell Canada's telephone assets in the province and established a publicly controlled telephone operation. The organization was renamed the Manitoba Telephone System in 1921 and eventually became the principal provider of fixed-line telephone service across Manitoba. The business developed from a conventional provincial telephone utility into a diversified communications company. During the postwar period it modernized long-distance switching and experimented with mobile radio. In the 1970s and 1980s it participated in emerging electronic-information and videotex services, including the agricultural information service Grassroots, while also expanding retail and business communications operations. It launched MTS Mobility for cellular and paging services in the late 1980s and introduced DSL broadband in Winnipeg and Brandon in 1999. The company was privatized by the Manitoba government in 1996. During the following decade it expanded outside Manitoba, formed the Intrigna competitive local exchange carrier with Bell Canada, acquired Allstream in 2004, and operated under the name MTS Allstream before separating the Manitoba and Allstream businesses. Allstream was subsequently sold, first through a proposed transaction that was blocked by the Canadian government on national-security grounds and later to Zayo Group in 2015. BCE announced its acquisition of Manitoba Telecom Services in May 2016. The transaction was valued at approximately C$3.9 billion in equity consideration, with BCE also assuming debt. Regulatory approval required Bell to transfer part of MTS Mobility's customer base, retail network, and spectrum to Telus and to transfer an additional group of wireless customers, stores, and spectrum to Xplornet. These remedies were intended to preserve competition in Manitoba's wireless market. The acquisition closed on March 17, 2017, and the business adopted the Bell MTS identity. Under Bell ownership, Bell MTS has remained a Manitoba-facing brand while serving as an important base for Bell's western Canadian telecommunications activities. Its portfolio includes Bell Mobility wireless services, high-speed Internet, Bell MTS Fibe TV, legacy and continuing cable television services in selected communities, and home-phone products. Bell launched LTE service in Churchill at the time of the acquisition and later integrated Bell MTS wireless subscribers into the broader Bell Mobility organization. The business has also modernized its television offering: MTS Classic TV was discontinued in 2015, while MTS Ultimate TV was rebranded as Bell MTS Fibe TV in 2017. The brand has had a visible presence in Winnipeg through sponsorship and naming-rights agreements. MTS acquired naming rights to the downtown arena now known as Canada Life Centre in 2003; the venue became MTS Centre, then Bell MTS Place after the acquisition, before the naming agreement expired in 2021. Bell MTS also held naming rights to Bell MTS Iceplex. Its current market role is that of a regional Bell operating brand rather than an independent, publicly traded telecommunications company.

Bell MTS traces its history to the development of telephone service in Manitoba. One of the province's early telephone subscribers was Winnipeg businessman James Henry Ashdown, who joined the emerging network in 1881. The direct corporate predecessor of MTS began operating in January 1908, when the Manitoba government purchased Bell Canada's Manitoba telephone assets and established Manitoba Government Telephones. The public telephone enterprise was renamed the Manitoba Telephone System in 1921 and gradually absorbed or replaced private telephone operations throughout the province. The system expanded and modernized during the twentieth century. In the late 1940s, it planned substantial upgrades to long-distance switching in Winnipeg and Brandon, using Siemens Brothers equipment and expanding the Corydon Avenue switching centre. Manitoba also experimented with mobile radio-telephone service during this period. Winnipeg introduced the 9-9-9 emergency telephone number in 1959, an early milestone in urban emergency communications in North America. From the 1970s onward, the organization moved beyond basic voice service. It allowed customers to purchase their own telephone equipment and offered installation of RJ11 jacks. In 1979 it announced Project IDA, a trial of Telidon-based two-way electronic information services. In 1981, MTS worked with Infomart to create Grassroots, a commercial videotex service designed to provide agricultural information to prairie farmers. It also established MTS Phone Centre retail stores and MTS Business Centre locations for residential and commercial equipment. MTS's expansion was not uniformly successful. In the mid-1980s its MTX subsidiary invested in telecommunications activity in Saudi Arabia, but the venture was shut down after generating a reported C$27 million loss and becoming the subject of controversy in Manitoba. The company later entered mobile communications. After Cantel had been permitted to establish cellular infrastructure and market service, MTS launched MTS Mobility in the late 1980s, offering cellular and paging products. The Manitoba government privatized the Manitoba Telephone System in 1996 under Premier Gary Filmon. The decision was politically controversial because it ended provincial ownership of a major public utility. The privatized company pursued wider geographic and product expansion. In 1999 it partnered with Bell Canada to form Intrigna, a competitive local exchange carrier serving business customers in Alberta and British Columbia. Fibre construction followed in Calgary and Edmonton and later reached Vancouver. MTS also completed FleetNet 800, a digital trunked radio system, and began offering DSL Internet in Winnipeg and Brandon in the autumn of 1999. The company faced pressure to improve service in northern Manitoba under the CRTC's Service Improvement Plan process. Older microwave links had limited data performance, and the failure of a relay tower on the Churchill corridor in early 2000 highlighted the infrastructure challenge. MTS responded with fibre construction between Radisson and Churchill and digital microwave upgrades between Lynn Lake and Thompson. During this period it also increased its public profile in Winnipeg by acquiring naming rights to the downtown arena in 2003. In February 2004, MTS sold its 40 percent interest in Intrigna to Bell Canada for C$230 million. Two months later it acquired Allstream, the telecommunications company descended from Canada's railway telegraph networks. The combined entity operated as MTS Allstream until the Manitoba and Allstream businesses were separated in 2012. Pierre Blouin became chief executive in 2005, and Jay A. Forbes was appointed chief executive effective January 1, 2015. Allstream was the subject of further ownership activity: a proposed sale to Accelero Capital was blocked by the Canadian government in 2013 over national-security concerns, while a later transaction transferred Allstream to Zayo Group for C$465 million in 2015. MTS continued developing its Manitoba consumer network. It introduced HSPA+ wireless service in March 2011 alongside support for Apple's iPhone 4, launched LTE in Winnipeg and Brandon in September 2012, and planned the retirement of its older CDMA network. Its television business also evolved from MTS Classic TV to MTS Ultimate TV and later Bell MTS Fibe TV. BCE announced the acquisition of MTS on May 2, 2016. The proposed transaction valued the equity at approximately C$3.9 billion and included the assumption of about C$800 million in debt. Bell committed to invest C$1 billion over five years in Manitoba broadband and network infrastructure, including upgrades associated with Bell Fibe and LTE-Advanced. The transaction drew opposition from some consumers and observers who feared that removing MTS as a substantial regional wireless competitor could increase prices. An Angus Reid Institute survey cited in contemporary coverage found that 61 percent of respondents moderately or strongly disapproved of the deal. Regulatory review produced several remedies. The CRTC approved the transfer of MTS broadcast-distribution undertakings to Bell in December 2016, and the Competition Bureau and Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada approved the broader transaction in February 2017. Bell agreed to transfer roughly one-third of MTS Mobility's wireless subscribers and retail locations to Telus. It also agreed to transfer 24,700 customers, six stores, and spectrum to Xplornet, while providing expedited tower access, roaming, and handset support for five years. The acquisition closed on March 17, 2017, when the Bell MTS identity was introduced and Dan McKeen replaced Jay Forbes as divisional leader. After the acquisition, Bell maintained the Bell MTS brand in Manitoba while integrating parts of the operation into its national Bell businesses. Bell MTS wireless customers began moving into Bell Mobility in 2018. Rates for non-wireless services increased in September 2017, while Bell stated that existing MTS wireless pricing would be maintained for at least one year after closing. In August 2019, Bell MTS said it would withdraw rural wireless Internet service from some communities after CRTC-mandated wholesale-rate changes. The company's arena naming rights ended in 2021, when Canada Life became the venue's new naming-rights sponsor.

1. 2017Bell MTS acquisition closes

   BCE completed the transaction and introduced Bell MTS as the Manitoba operating brand.

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2. 2017MTS Ultimate TV becomes Bell MTS Fibe TV

   The IPTV service was aligned with Bell's Fibe TV branding and received additional functionality.

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3. 2016BCE announces acquisition

   BCE announced its planned acquisition of Manitoba Telecom Services.

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4. 2012LTE launched in Winnipeg and Brandon

   MTS began its LTE rollout in Manitoba's two largest cities.

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5. 2011HSPA+ wireless network launched

   MTS introduced HSPA+ service and began offering Apple's iPhone 4.

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6. 2004Acquisition of Allstream

   MTS acquired Allstream and operated the combined business as MTS Allstream.

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7. 1999DSL and Intrigna expansion

   MTS launched DSL in Winnipeg and Brandon and partnered with Bell Canada in the Intrigna competitive local exchange carrier.

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8. 1996Privatization

   The Manitoba government sold the Manitoba Telephone System to private shareholders.

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9. 1981Grassroots videotex service launched

   MTS and Infomart introduced an agricultural information service for prairie users.

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10. 1979Project IDA announced

    MTS announced a trial of Telidon-based interactive electronic information services.

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11. 1921Renamed Manitoba Telephone System

    The provincial telephone corporation adopted the Manitoba Telephone System name.

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12. 1908Manitoba Government Telephones begins operation

    The Manitoba government acquired Bell Canada's telephone assets in the province and established the public telephone operation that became the predecessor of MTS.

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A full-service telecommunications provider for Manitoba, combining Bell's national network and product portfolio with a locally recognized operating brand.

• Bell MTS MobilityWireless communications1980

  The Manitoba wireless business originated as MTS Mobility, which launched cellular and paging services in the late 1980s. It later introduced HSPA+ in 2011 and LTE in Winnipeg and Brandon in 2012. Following BCE's acquisition, the wireless customer base was progressively integrated into Bell Mobility, while the Bell MTS name remained associated with Manitoba services.

• Bell MTS InternetBroadband Internet1999

  Bell MTS provides fixed broadband connectivity in Manitoba, building on the DSL service first introduced in Winnipeg and Brandon in 1999. Bell's post-acquisition investment commitments were intended to expand broadband reach and upgrade infrastructure for newer services, including fibre-related connectivity and higher-capacity networks.

• Bell MTS Fibe TVIP television2009

  Bell MTS Fibe TV is the brand's IPTV service, originally launched in 2009 as MTS Ultimate TV and later aligned with Bell's Fibe TV platform in November 2017. The service uses IPTV technology and has been offered in Winnipeg and a range of Manitoba communities, with features including service restarting and other platform-based viewing functions.

• Bell MTS Cable TVCable television

  Bell MTS also operates cable television services in selected Manitoba communities, including Winnipeg, Brandon, Morden, Winkler, and several smaller towns. The cable offering complements the IPTV footprint and reflects the company's historical role as a broad provincial communications provider.

• Home phoneFixed-line telephony1908

  Fixed-line telephone service remains part of the Bell MTS portfolio. It descends from the Manitoba public telephone network established in the early twentieth century and serves residential and business customers through Bell's Manitoba infrastructure.

• 2017Bell MTS brand transition

  Manitoba

  BCE introduced the Bell MTS identity after closing its acquisition of Manitoba Telecom Services.

  Outcome. The brand continued to serve Manitoba while products, wireless operations, and technology platforms were progressively aligned with Bell.

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• 2011Morty the Bison mascot refresh

  Manitoba

  MTS introduced a new animated version of Morty the Bison, reinforcing the brand's local Manitoba identity in consumer marketing.

  Outcome. The refreshed mascot became part of MTS's public-facing brand presentation.

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• 2003MTS Centre naming-rights sponsorship

  Winnipeg · Manitoba

  MTS acquired naming rights to the downtown Winnipeg arena operated by True North Sports & Entertainment.

  Outcome. The venue was known as MTS Centre and later Bell MTS Place before the agreement ended in 2021.

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• 2019Withdrawal from parts of the rural Internet programStrategy

  Changes to wholesale rates mandated by the CRTC affected the economics of Bell MTS's rural wireless Internet program.

  What changed. Bell MTS announced that it would no longer provide wireless Internet service to some rural communities through the program.

  Aftermath. Some rural Manitoba communities lost access to that specific Bell MTS service arrangement.

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• 2017Bell MTS Fibe TV rebrandProduct launch

  Bell sought to unify the Manitoba television platform with its Fibe TV products elsewhere in Canada.

  What changed. MTS Ultimate TV was rebranded as Bell MTS Fibe TV and received additional functionality, including a restart feature.

  Aftermath. The service became the principal Bell-branded IPTV offering in Manitoba.

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• 2016BCE acquisition of Manitoba Telecom ServicesM&A

  BCE sought to acquire MTS and use the Manitoba operation as a base for Bell's western Canadian telecommunications activities. The deal raised concerns about reduced wireless competition and possible price increases.

  What changed. BCE announced a transaction valued at approximately C$3.9 billion in equity consideration and agreed to assume approximately C$800 million in debt. Bell also committed to invest C$1 billion over five years in Manitoba network infrastructure.

  Aftermath. The transaction closed on March 17, 2017, after regulatory remedies requiring wireless divestitures to Telus and Xplornet.

  Transaction value. Approximately C$3.9 billion equity value; approximately C$800 million debt assumed (Announced May 2, 2016; completed March 17, 2017)

  • Telus — Telus received approximately one-third of MTS Mobility's wireless subscribers and retail locations as a regulatory remedy.
  • Xplornet — Xplornet received 24,700 wireless customers, six retail locations, spectrum, and supporting access arrangements to establish a competing wireless business.
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• 2013Government blocks proposed Allstream saleControversy

  The Canadian government rejected the proposed sale of Allstream to Accelero Capital, citing national-security concerns without publicly detailing the specific concerns.

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• 1996Controversy over privatizationControversy

  The Manitoba government's decision to privatize the Manitoba Telephone System was politically controversial because it ended public ownership of a major provincial communications utility.

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• 1980MTX Saudi telecommunications venture controversyControversy

  MTS's MTX subsidiary invested in telecommunications activity in Saudi Arabia during the 1980s. The venture was later shut down after reportedly losing C$27 million and becoming controversial in Manitoba.

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• 2021Bell MTS arena naming agreement ends

  True North Sports & Entertainment announced that Canada Life had acquired the naming rights to the Winnipeg arena after the Bell MTS agreement expired.

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• 2019Bell MTS reduces rural wireless Internet coverage

  Bell MTS announced that it would stop serving some rural communities through its rural Internet program following changes to wholesale rates mandated by the CRTC.

  RegulationOther
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• 2018MTS wireless customers integrated into Bell Mobility

  Bell began moving Bell MTS wireless subscribers into the national Bell Mobility business structure.

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• 2017Canadian regulators approve Bell's MTS acquisition with wireless divestitures

  Approval was granted after Bell agreed to transfer wireless customers, retail locations, spectrum, roaming arrangements, and tower access to Telus and Xplornet.

  M&ARegulation
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• 2017Bell MTS launches LTE service in Churchill

  Bell launched LTE service in Churchill when the MTS acquisition closed, extending modern mobile connectivity to the northern Manitoba community.

  Product launch
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• 2016BCE announces acquisition of Manitoba Telecom Services

  BCE announced an all-stock acquisition of MTS valued at approximately C$3.9 billion, subject to regulatory approval and wireless-competition remedies.

  M&A
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1. Bell MTS
2. Bell MTS official website