- High-speed Internet access to 90% of Albertans in three years
    - Delivery by unique public/private sector consortium led by Bell
      Intrigna, Bell Nexxia and Axia NetMedia
    - Fibre-optic network will link 420 Albertan municipalities
    - Innovative partnership with government ensures equal access and pricing
      throughout province

CALGARY, Nov. 2 -- The Government of Alberta today announced it is
moving ahead to contract a consortium of leading global and provincial
technology companies, headed by Bell companies to build and implement a high-
speed, broadband Internet network that will connect the province's
communities, learning institutions, hospital facilities and libraries. The
agreement supports a network investment of $300 million.
    "This contract represents a significant milestone in our Western
expansion and is a testament to Bell's status as a truly national
communications company," said Jean C. Monty, Chairman and CEO of Bell Canada
and BCE Inc. "I am proud of the progress Bell Intrigna and Bell Nexxia have
made in establishing a strong foothold in Alberta."
    "We are very pleased by the Government of Alberta's decision to select
the Bell consortium to connect all parts of the province via high-speed, fibre-
optic highway," said Murray Korth, president and CEO for Bell Intrigna, a
joint venture between MTS and Bell Canada to deliver communications solutions
in Western Canada. "We are proud to be participating in something that will
bring real and tangible benefits to Albertans, no matter where they live."
    To deliver the Government of Alberta strategy, Bell, its operating units
Bell Intrigna and Bell Nexxia, and Axia brought together an unprecedented
consortium of global players including, Nortel Networks, Cisco, Microsoft, Wi-
Lan, Total Telecom, 360 Networks, and Netricom Communications Solutions. Bell
adopted the open consortium approach to ensure optimal access to leading-edge
technology services and expertise.
    The project will link any community in Alberta that has a school,
hospital, library or provincial government office to other communities via
high-speed telecommunication lines. A fully wired province will offer
Albertans in all regions direct access to information and services not locally
available.
    The project is part of a government strategy that envisions Information
and Communications Technology (ICT) as a means to improve quality of life and
build sustainable prosperity for Albertans. The strategy encompasses four
priorities, including development of the fibre-optic infrastructure,
investment in education, growth in ICT research and development and expansion
of ICT-based industry.
    "At its heart, our strategy offers a way to provide everyone, both in
rural and urban areas, with equal access at equal cost to the best information
and services available, while at the same time, fostering economic
diversification," said the Honourable Lorne Taylor, Alberta's Minister of
Innovation and Science. "The Bell consortium offers us the most cost-effective
and technologically advanced approach to achieving this strategy."
    "This innovative network will put Alberta on the global map as the most
desirable place for e-business, e-learning, e-government and e-health," said
Art Price, CEO of Axia. "It will further enhance Alberta's position as an
attractive place to live, work and invest."
    "The selection of the Bell consortium validates MTS' decision to partner
with Bell Canada in the creation of Bell Intrigna just 18 months ago," said
Bill Fraser, president and CEO of MTS and Chair of Bell Intrigna.

    ABOUT BELL INTRIGNA
    Bell Intrigna offers a full suite of telecommunications product and
services. Through a strategic partnership with Bell Nexxia, Bell Intrigna is
able to offer a full portfolio of data and IP products. It also provides a
variety of data network and voice communication services. Bell Intrigna is
headquartered in Calgary, Alberta, with offices in Vancouver, British Columbia
and Edmonton, Alberta. Bell Intrigna is owned two-thirds by Manitoba Telecom
Services Inc. (MTS) and one third by Bell Canada.

    ABOUT BELL NEXXIA
    Bell Nexxia, a unit of Bell Canada, is a leader in providing innovative
communications solutions to large enterprise customers across Canada and the
United States. Bell Nexxia offers a coast-to-coast and international IP
network with a variety of business services including Bell Nexxia's IPConnect
Access, IP Virtual Private Networks (VPN), Extranet and IP Hosting services.
Leveraging the strength and expertise of the BCE (NYSE/TSE: BCE) group of
companies and strategic partnerships with industry leaders such as Nortel
Networks (NYSE/TSE: NT) and Cisco Systems (NASDAQ: CSCO), Bell Nexxia provides
its customers with cost-effective next-generation services they need to
compete in the global marketplace. Bell Nexxia's Internet Web site is located
at www.bellnexxia.com.
    ABOUT AXIA Axia NetMedia Corporation develops and implements customer
solutions for information exchange, communications and lifelong learning that
take advantage of global Internet Protocol network technologies. Axia's
products, developed with expert partners from world-recognized institutes and
organizations, are knowledge-oriented and subscriber- or transaction-based.
They are aimed at developing and maintaining on-line user centric learning
programs for global audiences.



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For further information: In Calgary: Samantha Ouimet, Bell Canada Media
Relations, (416) 988-1782; In Toronto: Cathy-Anne O'Brien, Bell Canada Media
Relations, (416) 581-3311, or 1-888-482-0809