The Globe and Mail reports in its Tuesday edition that BCE's Bell aims to profit by bringing high-speed Internet to the northwestern U.S. The Globe's Andrew Willis writes that Bell's proposed $5-billion purchase of Ziply Fiber shows it has found a way to boost profits by taking something it does well in a mature domestic market and exporting it to an under-served American audience. Mr. Willis says it is a bold strategy, aimed at building a U.S. market leader out of a Ziply platform with 15-per-cent annual subscriber growth across networks in Washington State, Oregon, Montana and Idaho. Income-seeking investors disliked Bell's decision to pause common-share dividend increases after 16 consecutive years of hikes. The stock fell $4.34 to finish Monday at $40.47, an 11-year low following this announcement. Analyst Maher Yagi described the Ziply purchase as a "perplexing transaction," reflecting the skepticism surrounding it. He said, "Investors in Canadian telecom are in the sector for dividends and not in it to get growth; they can get it elsewhere." To increase dividends, the company needs to increase its revenue and profit. That is what Bell chief executive officer Mirko Bibic expects from this career-defining acquisition.
© 2025 Canjex Publishing Ltd. All rights reserved.