So far, the CRTC has handled Telus to permit this – even though it has postponed a final decision on this matter until summer – while Bell hold the large players from investing in their very own network extension.
“To express it bluntly, we are not in the business to build fiber for Telus’ advantage, and that is exactly what is forcing us the CRTC guideline that is currently available to us,” Bibic told the analysts concerning the company’s earnings discussion within the fourth quarter.
He said that it “makes no sense” that the CRTC would enable incumbents to resell the Internet service at the identical time. “If Canadian productivity already stays.
“I do not understand why a regulatory authority would introduce guidelines that create incentives for investments, endanger jobs and endanger the risk of critical infrastructure,” he said.
“It seems to be the wrong guideline at the wrong time.”
The CRTC has announced that its fiber rules for wholesale should compensate for competitive conditions for smaller web providers, of which many problems needed to compete with the large players.
After a limited version of the principles had been determined at the tip of 2023, Bell replied with the announcement that they would scale back the network investment plans in 2024-25 by greater than $ 1 billion. On Thursday, Bibic said that Bell had reached greater than 70% of those reductions by the tip of last yr and “reduced more than we expected” this yr in response to the recent decision of the supervisory authority.
“We will visit our expansion plan again if the CRTC reverses its decision,” he said.
The move asked questions from analysts about Bell’s investment strategy, specifically in view of the pending $ 5 billion of the US fiber web provider Zipe Fiber, which is lively within the Pacific northwest. Bibic found that this deal, which is closed this yr, comes when Bell desires to turn right into a “fiber fib company”.
An analyst asked Bibic what he feared when Telus had resold Bell’s fiber optic service and what options the corporate could also be selling fiber services in other markets in the long run.
According to Bibic, the very best type of the competition of corporations that construct their very own infrastructure comes.
“We would always compete on the basis of networks that we have,” he said.
“We want to build. We want to compete against other well -capitalized companies that build their own, and we are obviously prepared for this in Canada and we are ready to use the growth opportunities in the USA. “
The Rently Fiber Deal is basically financed, although the proceeds from the $ 4.7 sale can be sold to Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment to the competition of Rogers Communications Inc.
This is one among the few options that the corporate desires to monetize non-core assets, said Bibic, who also emphasized the sale of BCE in the quantity of $ 1 billion from Northwestel Inc. Northwestel deals.
The company reported its net profit, which is attributable to regular shareholders, amounted to $ 461 million or 51 cents per share per share in comparison with $ 382 million or 42 cents per share within the last three Months of 2023.
The operating turnover for the fourth quarter was 6.42 billion US dollars in comparison with $ 6.47 billion within the previous yr.
According to BCE, 79 cents per share was achieved on an adjusted basis, from an adjusted profit of 76 cents per share within the previous yr. Analysts had expected an adjusted profit of 72 cents per share on average, as was created from estimates by LSEG Data & Analytics.
In its outlook for 2025, the corporate gave revenue instructions that were 3% to 1% from a decrease of three%. It is predicted that an adjusted result per share for 2025 between 8% and 13% in comparison with 2024.
BCE expects his dividend to keep up at the present level after being retained in the course of the break in the course of the break in November.
The analyst of Desjardin, Jerome Dubreuil, said that the instructions correspond roughly with the expectations, “probably not sufficient to make the perspective of investors on the shares”.
“BCE announced a significant investment cut that could be the right thing in this area,” he wrote.
“However, we believe that it is fair to say that we should not count on Capex (in Canada) to improve the top line in the future.”
He said that he wouldn’t rule out a dividend later in 2025, “given the unpleasant payment situation and the accelerated expenses in the USA”
The BCE shares were traded with the TSX with $ 1.62 or around 4.5%in the course of Thursday.
During the last quarter, BCE added 56,550 Netto -Postpaid mobile radio subscribers, which decreased by 56.1% within the previous yr, which was partly attributable to the slow population growth of Canada.
It also quoted a better customer migration – a measure of subscribers who canceled their service – that increased to 1.66%. The average turnover of Bells wireless mobile phones per user was $ 57.15, which corresponds to a decline of two.7% in comparison with the previous yr.
“We have to dismantle,” said Bibic in a telephone interview.
“I’m still not satisfied with emigration, but we’ve programs and we all know that we’ve to take it. I feel within the form of environment wherein you could have slow growth and lower prices, you could have to administer your cost structure and keep your customers. “
