- Direct Impact
This section of our Corporate Responsibility report deals with BCE's impact on the economic circumstances of our various stakeholders. This includes the traditional measures of profitability as they impact our shareholders. It also includes monetary flow indicators that provide insight into BCE's impact on the economic status of our other stakeholders.
Shareholders
| EPS (Earnings per share) ($) | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| 2005 | 2004 | 2003 | |
| BCE consolidated | 2.04 | 1.65 | 1.90 |
For detailed information and discussion of monetary flows affecting shareholders, consult the BCE 2005 Annual Report
Customers
| Net Sales ($ millions) | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| 2005 | 2004 | 2003 | |
| BCE consolidated | 19,105 | 18,368 | 18,057 |
| Bell Canada consolidated (including Aliant) | 17,250 | 16,787 | 16,614 |
Suppliers
| Operating Expenses ($ millions) | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| 2005 | 2004 | 2003 | |
| BCE consolidated | 11,508 | 10,938 | 10,776 |
| Bell Canada consolidated (including Aliant) | 10,063 | 9,676 | 9,613 |
Employees
| Total Payroll and Benefits ($ millions) | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| 2005 | 2004 | 2003 | |
| BCE consolidated | 3,584 | 3,451 | 3,312 |
| Bell Canada consolidated (including Aliant) | 3,098 | 2,979 | 2,833 |
Providers of Capital
| Distributions to providers of capital ($ millions) BCE Consolidated |
|||
|---|---|---|---|
| 2005 | 2004 | 2003 | |
| Interest expense | 981 | 999 | 1,100 |
| Cash dividends paid on preferred shares | 86 | 85 | 61 |
| Cash dividends paid on common shares | 1,195 | 1,108 | 1,029 |
For more details on BCE's economic performance, consult BCE's 2005 annual report.
Public Sector
| Income Taxes Paid ($ millions) | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| 2005 | 2004 | 2003 | |
| BCE consolidated | 893 | 681 | 1,086 |
| Donations and Community Sponsorships* ($ millions) | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| 2005 | 2004 | 2003 | |
| Bell Canada | 23.3 | 18.1 | 15.9 |
*For a detailed breakdown, see: Communities
Regions
Olympic investments boost British Columbia
In late 2004, the Vancouver Organizing Committee for the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games (VANOC) selected Bell Canada as its Premier National Partner for the 2010 Games. Bell's overall commitment represents a value of $200 million which includes:
- $90 million to acquire sponsorship rights from 2006 through 2012.
- $60 million for providing the critical communications services required to stage the 2010 Games in Vancouver and Whistler, including a comprehensive telecommunications solution, broadcast support and Internet and portal services.
- $5 million for developing and hosting vancouver2010.com web portal
- $45 million in cash and in-kind contributions to support sports, athletes, local communities, and First Nations.
More info on Bell's Olympic partnership
As part of this $45 million commitment, Bell Canada made significant investments in 2005. The first is a $2 million contribution to support the three key strategies of the Vancouver agreement's Economic Revitalization Plan for Vancouver's Downtown Eastside:
- Increase demand for Downtown Eastside products and services;
- Strengthen the capabilities of local suppliers; and
- Increase employment opportunities for local residents.
More info on Community Development
Another $3 million was earmarked to support the development of the Squamish Lil'wat Cultural Centre in Whistler, British Columbia.
More info on Aboriginal Peoples
We committed $1 million to support 2010 LegaciesNow, a province-wide grassroots community tour program to raise awareness of the benefits of the 2010 Games. Finally, we committed $15 million to Own the Podium, a sport technical program designed to help Canada become the number one nation in terms of medals won at the 2010 Olympic Winter Games in Vancouver and Whistler, and to place top three at the 2010 Paralympic Winter Games.
Bell is also investing in an Olympic technology sustainability strategy, which will make the 2010 games among the most environmentally friendly in modern history. Our strategy includes guidelines for fibre and PCS wireless construction, as well as purchasing standards. Guidelines cover third party environmental assessments; re-use of existing infrastructure; recycling of conduits, ducts, construction materials, and telecom infrastructure; replacement of vegetation; and the use of on-line technologies to reduce paper documentation.
Alberta SuperNet operational throughout the province
In 2005, Bell Canada completed the build-out of Alberta SuperNet, a broadband network linking approximately 4,200 government, health, library and education facilities in 429 communities across the province. SuperNet comprises a base area network, constructed, owned and operated by Bell in 27 of Alberta's largest communities, and an extended area network which connects 402 communities in rural Alberta.
Many of the 4,200 learning, health and government facilities connected across the province are already using the network for high-speed services such as video conferencing. Through Internet service providers, SuperNet now has the capacity to bring high-speed access to more than 86 per cent of Alberta's population, making SuperNet a key factor in rural Alberta's social and economic development.
Chapleau, Ontario tests impact of digital inclusion on remote communities
In 2005, Bell Canada collaborated with Nortel to bring broadband services and applications to the remote northern Ontario community of Chapleau. Access to high-speed networking and applications will connect Chapleau with the rest of the world, helping the remote community to strengthen its commerce, social structure, healthcare and education.
Project Chapleau is especially significant because it includes a study of the economic and social benefits of communications technology on rural and remote communities. Research results from Project Chapleau are expected to be of considerable value to private industry and government as Canada continues to work towards overcoming the cost challenges of delivering broadband networks and applications to sparsely populated areas of the country.
