Bell asks the CRTC to implement "regulatory symmetry" by applying the same
rules to cable and telecom companies when they sign up new customers

Bell preparing to bring enhanced TV competition to urban markets still dominated by traditional cable television

OTTAWA, May 27 /CNW Telbec/ - Bell today asked the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) to change rules that have long favoured cable companies over telecommunications companies when it comes to signing up new subscribers.

Bell's application to the CRTC comes as the company prepares to introduce competitive new IPTV (internet protocol TV) services this year in Toronto and Montréal, television markets that are still dominated by traditional cable TV companies.

"Decade-old rules that have ensured a competitive advantage for cable companies need to change, never more so than now as Bell prepares to enhance competition and consumer choice in television in Canada's largest urban markets," said George Cope, President and CEO of Bell Canada and BCE. "We expect the CRTC to apply regulatory symmetry to cable and telecom companies, either by removing advantages for cablecos in phone services or by applying similar rules to telecom companies offering competitive TV services."

Bell has asked the CRTC to ensure the regulatory environment is symmetrical by:

    
    - Rescinding a 10-year-old rule that allows cable companies to cancel a
      phone customer's service when they switch providers - customers should
      either be required to deal first with their existing phone provider
      before they switch, as is the case when customers change TV providers,
      or the CRTC should allow TV competitors like Bell to handle the
      transfer of new TV accounts in the same way cablecos can with their new
      phone customers.

    - Eliminating fees that cable companies can charge telecom companies for
      access to inside wiring - existing CRTC rules prohibit Bell from
      charging cablecos any fees for access to its own inside wiring.
    

Set for initial introduction in Montréal and Toronto later this year, Bell IPTV is an advanced television service operating on Bell's broadband fibre networks and specifically targeted at urban customers. Bell IPTV is a new complement to Bell TV, Canada's largest direct-to-home satellite television service that serves almost 2 million customers across the country and offers more High Definition channels than any other Canadian TV provider.

About Bell

Bell is Canada's largest communications company, providing consumers and business with solutions to all their communications needs, including Bell Mobility wireless, high-speed Bell Internet, Bell TV direct-to-home satellite television, Bell Home phone local and long distance, and IP-broadband and information and communications technology (ICT) services. Bell is proud to be a Premier National Partner and the exclusive Telecommunications Partner to the Vancouver 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games.

Bell is wholly owned by BCE Inc. (TSX, NYSE: BCE). For information on Bell's products and services, please visit www.bell.ca. For corporate information on BCE, please visit www.bce.ca.

For further information: For media inquiries, please contact: Jacqueline Michelis, Bell Media Relations, [phone], [email protected]