Bell Canada has entered into a partnership with Cohere to utilize its artificial intelligence infrastructure through Bell AI Fabric, with the assistance of two other companies. As part of the deal, Bell will offer data center space in Merritt, B.C. Additionally, they are collaborating with Buzz High Performance Computing and Hypertec from Quebec, along with Nvidia, to facilitate AI workloads.
Cohere, headquartered in Toronto, will leverage this platform to operate its foundational models, delivering secure AI solutions for government and corporate clients. The aim is to establish the necessary environment for conducting crucial research and development on AI models within Canadian infrastructure.
Michel Richer, the president of Bell AI Fabric, emphasized the significance of this agreement in transitioning organizations from experimental phases to production on Canadian-based infrastructure. Bell had introduced Bell AI Fabric over a year ago to cater to the AI requirements of Canadian businesses and governments, positioning it as the country’s most extensive AI computing initiative.
The parent company, BCE Inc., has raised revenue projections for its expanding AI business and plans to construct a cluster of data centers while ensuring responsible technology usage. They anticipate generating approximately $2 billion in revenue from AI-powered solutions by 2028. BCE also launched Ateko and Bell Cyber brands last year to bolster its tech services portfolio, witnessing a 113% revenue growth in AI-powered solutions from these brands in the first quarter.
Bell and Cohere previously announced a partnership to offer comprehensive sovereign AI solutions to governmental and corporate clients nationwide. This collaboration enables enterprises and governments to deploy advanced AI securely and reliably, aligning with Canadian data protection priorities.