Telekom Devleri Rogers ve Bell, MLSE İçin Anlaşma Yaparken AI, 5G ve Daha Fazlası ile Yenilik Yapıyor

MLSE Anlaşması

In a deal to separate the tie between the 2 companies, Rogers Communication (RCI )  is now the majority owner of Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment (MLSE), buying out the stake of its rival Bell Canada Enterprises (BCE) for $4.7B.

MLSE, Toronto Maple Leafs ve Toronto Raptors’ı sahiplenen şirkettir ve şimdiye kadar Rogers ve Bell tarafından ortak sahiplenilmişti; bu, bölgelerindeki iletişim hizmetlerinde bir duopol olarak tanımlanabilir.

The deal is pending regulator and league approval. It also included access to content rights for the Toronto Maple Leafs and Toronto Raptors on TSN for the next 20 years.

“Rogers ve Bell’in MLSE ortak sahipliği son derece alışılmadıktı ve bunu “Coke ve Pepsi’nin birlikte bir takıma sahip olması” gibi bir duruma benzetti.

Satın alma, hayranlar için hemen bir fark yaratmayabilir, ancak Kaplan’ın söylediğine göre “bu, Rogers’ın Yankees, Dodgers ve Lakers gibi harcama yapacağı anlamına gelmelidir.”

Cary Kaplan – Toronto’da Cosmo Sports Entertainment Başkanı, CBC’de

If the deal is concluded, Rogers will own 75% of MSLE, MLSE chair Larry Tanenbaum 20%, and the Canadian pension fund Ontario Municipal Employees Retirement System (OMERS) 5%.

The stock price reaction was muted for Rogers, with not much change in the news.

The same can be said for Bell, although it was received a little bit more warmly by the market.

Bell declared that it is selling its ownership stake to reduce its debt and “support its ongoing transformation” from a telecommunications firm to a tech company.

TV Kanallarından Fazlası

Both companies are well known for their telecommunication offers through various mass media channels and are among the largest companies in Canada. However, they are also innovative companies diversifying their technology portfolio through direct investments, venture branches, and partnerships.

Overall, this deal is part of a consolidation of the telecom industry landscape in Canada, with both Bell and Rogers having made significant acquisitions and massive investments to evolve into full-fledged tech companies at the edge of connectivity and AI technologies.

In the long term, this should give them an edge in managing the transition toward ubiquitous IoT and connectivity.

Bell’in Yenilikleri

Bell + Mila ile AI Yeniliği

The AI research Institute Mila, based in Montreal and with 1,200 specialized researchers in machine learning signed with Bell in Ocak 2024 an 18-month deal to improve customer experience and business performance.

For example, this extends to MyBell, an app letting Bell’s customers manage all their bills, accounts, services, etc. online.

“Becoming an AI leader is key to our transition from a traditional telco to a tech services leader. Working with a global leader like Mila right here in Montréal is a great opportunity for Bell to benefit from leading-edge researchers, advance our AI and Cloud expertise, further improve the customer experience, and establish our role as a technology services leader.”

Michel Richer, Senior VP – Enterprise Solutions, Data Engineering & AI at Bell Canada

Yeşil Girişimler

Bell is also working on reducing its environmental impact. One such initiative is green cooling systems for IT.

The company is reducing its energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions through multiple methods:

• Bilgisayar odalarının sıcaklığını 24°C’den 30°C – 35°C’ye artırmak.
• Enerji yoğun pompalar ve zararlı halokarbon gazlarına olan ihtiyacı ortadan kaldırmak için CO2 termosifon kullanmak.
• Buharlı kondansatörler.

This led to a 40% reduction in energy consumption, as well as an improved safety profile.

Bulut Bilişim

In Mayıs 2024, Bell acquired FX Innovation, a Montréal-based provider of cloud-based workflow automation for businesses.

It also signed a multi-year strategic agreement with ServiceNow (NOW )  that will be implemented by FX Innovation. The goals will be to:

• Create an AI-optimisationlu bir deneyim oluşturmak; planlamayı otomatikleştirmek, müşteri taleplerini daha iyi karşılamak ve sürüş süresini azaltmak.
• Sipariş yönetimi, vaka yönetimi ve olay yanıt süreçlerini kolaylaştırmak için geliştirilmiş müşteri desteği.
• Hizmet teslimatlarını hızlandırmak; müşterilerin ihtiyaçlarını haftalar yerine saatler ya da günler içinde karşılamasını sağlamak.

5G

Bell’s 5G and 5G+ network is one of Canada’s largest.

The 5G+ network will be deployed in limited areas of Toronto and Kitchener-Waterloo, and aims for peak theoretical download speeds of up to 4Gbps in select areas, with field test download speeds reaching 2Gbps. This makes it the fastest 5G network in Canada.

It also offers private 5G networks in partnership with Megalab for the mining industry, Cisco, and the PIER.

Bell Ventures

This branch of the BCE Group launched in 2022 is investing in early-stage tech companies relevant to Bell’s innovation strategy.

Kaynak: Bell Venture

This includes for example:

• AST SpaceMobile , uzay tabanlı bir 5G hücresel geniş bant çözümü.
• Gatik ve BeWhere, lojistik ve envanter yönetiminde.
• Sanctuary AI, genel amaçlı bir insansı robot.
• Tiny Mile, küçük bir teslimat robotu çözümü.
• İnovasyona odaklı fonlar, örneğin Boreal Ventures (deeptech), Climate Innovation Capital (iklim teknolojisi), DTCP (dijital altyapı), ScaleUp Ventures (erken Kanada girişimleri), Venture Reality Fund (VR, XR ve AI), ve McRock Capital (Endüstriyel IoT).

Bimcor

Bimcor, Bell Canada’nın tamamen sahip olduğu bir yan kuruluş, şu anda Bell Canada ve çeşitli yan kuruluşları ve bağlı şirketlerinin emeklilik fonları adına, geniş bir yelpazedeki kamu ve özel finansal varlıklara yatırılmış 30 milyar dolardan fazla yönetmektedir.

It is one of the largest private-sector pension fund managers in Canada.

Rogers’ın Yenilikleri

5G ve Yüksek Hızlı Telekomünikasyon

Besides the ongoing “classical” 5G deployment, Rogers is also collaborating with CableLabs to use cable network infrastructure for 5G connectivity.

This “10G” technology allows for speeds up to 10 times faster than today with enhanced reliability and minimal latency.

This follows the acquisition by Rogers of Shaw in 2023, a cable telecommunication company, which made it the largest deal in Canadian telecom history.

In 2023, Rogers invested $3.9B to upgrade its network, especially on 5G and cable networks, with a total of $19B in the past 10 years.

This brought 5G services to new areas spanning 20,000 square kilometers and expanded the cable network to reach 90,000 more homes, making Rogers’ 5G network the largest in Canada.

Rogers also offers private 5G networks to companies operating in oil & gas, mining, utilities, logistics, etc, for example, Kirkland Lake’s gold mine is fully connected mine.

Uzay Tabanlı Telekom

Rogers signed in 2023 an agreement with Elon Musk’s SpaceX (SPCX ) (and its subsidiary Starlink) to bring satellite-to-phone coverage to Canada.

The companies plan to start with satellite coverage for SMS text and will eventually provide voice and data across the country’s most remote wilderness, national parks, and rural highways that are unconnected today.

“Gelecekte, bu yatırımlar 911 erişimi dahil olmak üzere kablosuz bağlantıyı en uzak bölgelere bile sağlayacak.”

Tony Staffieri – President and CEO of Rogers

Not content to work with SpaceX, Rogers is also collaborating with Lynk Global for the same objective, ensuring the quick deployment of this capacity in Canada’s remote regions.

AI

Since 2022, Rogers pledged to invest C$10B  in AI solutions to prevent further outages.

It is partnering with Comcast (CMCSA ) to use its built-in AI, cloud, and edge computing technology. This should identify network and service issues, improve performance, and increase the reliability of services like gaming, video conferencing, and 4K video.

The company is also using AI to help optimize traffic problems, optimizing traffic lights, lane management, and safety through AI, remote control, and the Virtual Management Center (VMC).

It is even looking at AI-managed radio, with SonicAI “beta testing their Radio GPT technology.”

“Where it makes sense, we have the AI voice identify themselves as AI to our listeners. The introduction of testing AI components on some of our radio stations is additive to and augments around our existing on-air radio talent.”

Orman Yangını Tespiti

Rogers & SenseNet are using Roger’s 5G network in Alberta and British Columbia to connect gas sensors, smoke detection cameras, and AI algorithms to spot and detect early wildfires.

Rogers ayrıca British Columbia Üniversitesi ve BC Orman Yangını Servisi ile Kelowna ve Prince George’daki kablosuz kulelerde 5G destekli Pano AI kameraları gibi 5G sensörlerini kullanarak orman yangını tespiti konusunda iş birliği yapmaktadır.