BCE to Expand Data Center Capacity in Saskatchewan

BCE Inc. plans to expand its data center campus in the Canadian province of Saskatchewan to as much as 1.2 gigawatts of capacity, the company announced Monday.

Canada’s biggest telecommunications firm by revenue and the provincial government signed a memorandum of understanding to develop up to 900 megawatts of capacity, on top of the 300 megawatts already under contract to CoreWeave Inc. and Cerebras Systems Inc. at its Regina, Saskatchewan, AI hub.

BCE is in advanced discussions to secure contracts for the additional capacity, according to a company spokesperson, which would come from natural gas power developed by a partner that has yet to be identified. Total capital investment into the Saskatchewan AI project from BCE and other institutions may eventually surpass C$50 billion ($35.9 billion), according to a statement from the company. That figure would include the data center infrastructure, the computing capacity that companies install in it and the related power generation.

“The demand signals that we’re getting to do more in Saskatchewan from customers; we just have a shared ambition to go bigger,” BCE Chief Executive Officer Mirko Bibic said in an interview.

The province identified AI as a catalyst for its economy, Bibic added, “so when you go and you pitch an idea and it makes sense for their communities and their jurisdiction, they will bring to bear all their resources to help you make it happen.”

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The development comes as the first Canada Investment Summit begins in Toronto. Prime Minister Mark Carney, who joined Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe to announce the BCE memo, hopes the event will attract capital from global investors for nation-building projects such as other data centers, major mining projects and high-speed rail infrastructure.

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BCE established Bell AI Fabric in 2025. Revenue from AI-powered solutions grew by 29% in the second quarter from a year ago, consisting of its Ateko and Bell Cyber properties. The segment helped BCE’s adjusted earnings beat analyst expectations in the first and second quarters.

Most recently, BCE reached a deal with Canadian technology firm Cohere Inc. in June to combine BCE’s data center capacity with Cohere’s AI models. The capacity will come from BCE’s data center in Merritt, British Columbia.

BCE’s media division owns BNN Bloomberg Television, which has a content partnership with Bloomberg LP.