Bell Canada’s parent company, BCE, has officially stated that it will be reducing its workforce by another 690 positions as part of an ongoing reorganization initiative that commenced towards the end of last year. Approximately 230 of the positions being cut are unionized roles, with the majority of affected employees being offered voluntary separation packages, according to the company.
The job cuts are attributed to various operational changes within Bell, such as transitioning customers to a more robust and easier-to-manage fibre network, as well as ongoing efforts to enhance operational efficiencies. Last November, Bell had already trimmed nearly 700 positions, primarily in non-unionized management roles across different regions.
Last October, BCE had announced plans to achieve $1.5 billion in total cost savings by 2028 through comprehensive organizational transformations and a continued focus on operational efficiencies. In 2024, BCE downsized its workforce by nine percent, impacting around 4,800 jobs, alongside divesting numerous radio stations and discontinuing several television newscasts. Additionally, about 1,300 positions, accounting for approximately three percent of the workforce at the time, were eliminated in June 2023.
During its recent earnings call, BCE reported a profit of $616 million attributable to common shareholders, equivalent to 66 cents per diluted share in the last quarter. This figure was slightly lower compared to the profit of $630 million or 68 cents per diluted share in the first quarter of 2025. BCE’s Chief Executive, Mirko Bibic, mentioned the company’s revised revenue target for its expanding AI sector, indicating a one-third increase as it progresses with plans to establish a group of data centers.
The company now anticipates generating approximately $2 billion in revenue from its range of AI-powered enterprise solutions by 2028, surpassing its previous target of $1.5 billion over three years. Alongside its existing services in fibre, wireless, and digital media, BCE considers AI-powered enterprise solutions a fundamental component of its strategic plan for the next three years.
