Bell Canada’s parent company, BCE, has officially announced the reduction of 690 jobs as part of a restructuring initiative that commenced in the latter part of last year. The company disclosed that the job cuts involve approximately 230 unionized positions, with employees being given the option of voluntary separation packages in most instances.
According to Bell, these changes are aligned with the company’s ongoing business operations and are tied to various strategic efforts, such as transitioning customers to a more robust and easier-to-maintain fibre network, as well as continuous enhancements in operational efficiencies.
Last November, Bell terminated close to 700 jobs, primarily affecting non-unionized managerial roles nationwide. BCE had previously outlined plans in October to achieve $1.5 billion in total cost savings by 2028 through an organization-wide transformation and a sustained emphasis on operational efficiencies.
In 2024, BCE downsized its workforce by nine percent, impacting approximately 4,800 positions, while also divesting numerous radio stations and discontinuing several television newscasts. This came after the elimination of about 1,300 jobs, equivalent to three percent of its workforce at the time, in June 2023.
In the most recent quarter, BCE reported a profit attributable to common shareholders of $616 million or 66 cents per diluted share, compared to $630 million or 68 cents per diluted share in the first quarter of 2025. During an earnings call, BCE’s chief executive, Mirko Bibic, revealed the company’s revised revenue target for its expanding AI business, increasing it by one-third as part of plans to establish a cluster of data centers.
BCE now anticipates generating approximately $2 billion in revenue from its array of AI-powered enterprise solutions by 2028, surpassing its previous target of $1.5 billion over three years. The company has identified AI-powered enterprise solutions, alongside fibre, wireless, and digital media, as a fundamental element of its three-year strategic roadmap.