Bell Canada parent company BCE is cutting its workforce by nearly 700 positions as part of the organizational restructuring it started last year.
The reduction impacts 1 percent of its total workforce—690 positions—which includes approximately 230 unionized roles, the country’s largest telecommunications and media company has confirmed. It noted that eligible unionized employees are receiving offers for voluntary severance packages.
“Organizational changes began late last year to better align the team structure with our strategy, and the current workforce reductions continue that work,” a BCE spokesperson said in an emailed statement. “These changes are part of our ongoing business operations and reflect several initiatives, including the migration of customers to a more resilient, easier-to-maintain fibre network and ongoing operating efficiencies.”
The spokesperson said it would be “providing support” to exiting employees during the transition.
The recent layoffs are part of BCE’s three-year plan “to drive sustainable growth” in a market the company says has become fiercely competitive. The plan was detailed by the company during its investor day last October.
The company said at the time its goal was to secure $1.5 billion in total cost savings by 2028 through a “companywide transformation” and an ongoing emphasis on “operational efficiencies.”
The restructuring process included a round of job cuts last November, leading BCE to dismiss 650 managers at Bell and roughly 40 other employees at its Bell Media subsidiary. No unionized employees were laid off during that round and cuts were predominantly in corporate departments, the company said.
Bell Canada also offered severance packages to 1,200 unionized employees across the country last February.
The company announced plans to cut nine percent of its workforce and sell 45 of its 103 regional radio stations in 2024. This took place after the elimination of roughly 1,300 jobs, accounting for about 3 percent of its workforce at that time, in June 2023.
BCE last month disclosed net earnings of $667 million, of which $616 million, or 66 cents per diluted share, is attributable to common shareholders, in its first quarter results for 2026. This is in contrast to a profit of $630 million, or 68 cents per diluted share, recorded in the first quarter of 2025.
Bell Canada CEO Mirko Bibic said during an earnings call last month that the company has increased its revenue target for its expanding AI sector by one-third as it progresses with its plans to establish a network of data centres.
BCE has revised its expectations and now projects $2 billion in revenue from its suite of AI-enhanced enterprise solutions by 2028, up from the prior goal of $1.5 billion over three years.
Revenue for Bell Business Markets was also up for the first time, rising 9.7 percent, driven by 113 percent growth in AI-powered solutions revenue, he said.
“We’ve been making progress on our capital allocation and capital investment plans to simplify the business, strengthen the balance sheet and focus capital on higher-return opportunities,” he added. “We will continue to execute on our plan as outlined at Investor Day 2025 as we look to create long-term value for our shareholders.”
The Canadian Press contributed to this report.
