Bell Canada to open 6 AI data centres in BC

VANCOUVER – Bell Canada has announced it will open six artificial intelligence data centres in B.C. as part of a plan to create the largest AI compute project in Canada.

The telecom company, which has in recent years publicized its intent to become more tech-focused, said the facilities will provide around 500 megawatts of hydroelectric-powered AI compute capacity.

AI compute refers to the technology that enables artificial intelligence systems to perform tasks, such as processing data and training machine-learning models.

The project, called Bell AI Fabric, will help support Canadian businesses and governments’ AI needs, ranging from strategy and applications development to infrastructure deployment, the company said.

Bell AI Fabric’s first seven-megawatt data centre is slated to open next month in Kamloops, in partnership with American AI inference provider Groq.

The company said Groq’s technology is designed to accelerate AI inference tasks, particularly for large language models – algorithms that use massive data sets to recognize, translate, predict or generate text and other content.

“Groq’s advanced LPU technology, combined with Bell’s extensive fibre infrastructure, is setting a new standard in AI inference,” Groq founder and CEO Jonathan Ross said in a press release.

“We’re excited to bring these capabilities to Canada, significantly enhancing performance and affordability for AI-driven applications.”

A second facility is planned to open in Merritt, B.C., by the end of this year.

Bell said an additional 26-megawatt data centre, being built in partnership with Thompson Rivers University, will open by the end of 2026, followed by another in 2027.

Two more AI data centres are in advanced planning stages, which will be designed for high-density AI workloads, with a total capacity of more than 400 megawatts. The company said future facilities planned across the country will take advantage of Bell’s real estate assets to add further capacity.

“Bell’s AI Fabric will ensure that Canadian businesses, researchers, and public institutions can access high-performance, sovereign and environmentally responsible AI computing services,” Bell president and CEO Mirko Bibic (pictured) said in a press release.

“Through this investment, Bell is immediately bolstering Canada’s sovereign AI compute capacity, while laying the groundwork to continue growing our AI economy.”

Earlier this month, Bell launched a new tech services brand called Ateko, which unifies recently acquired tech companies FX Innovation, HGC Technologies and CloudKettle under a single umbrella.

The company said Ateko will help businesses streamline operations, cut costs and boost productivity using AI, and serves as a cornerstone of Bell’s ambition to build a $1-billion tech services business.