ebox – BIG

Bell will consolidate Distributel with EBOX.

Glen LeBlanc, Bell’s chief financial officer, shared the news at BMO’s 23rd annual Media and Telecom conference.

“We will leave [Distributel] as a self-standing entity and operate it as such. We will consolidate it with EBOX,” he said.

Bell announced its plans to acquire Distributel earlier this month in a brief press release. Bell also acquired EBOX earlier in the year.

The Distributel acquisition will help Bell grow its internet subscriber growth, LeBlanc said, noting it will take between three and five months to gain regulatory approval.

LeBlanc also said the changes won’t reduce competition.

“From our perspective, consolidation in our industry continues to be a reality on this wholesale front, and I don’t think that in any way reduces competition when you see the number of players that still exist, including the largest one in TekSavvy,” LeBlanc said.

Via: Cartt.ca

The largest independent internet provider in Quebec is no longer an independent company — telecom giant Bell has bought out EBOX.

Based in Longueuil, Quebec, the company provided internet, telephone, and television services to consumers across Quebec and parts of Ontario.

Bell said it would maintain the EBOX brand, created 25 years ago, in a statement announcing the acquisition.

“The acquisition of EBOX will further strengthen Bell’s presence in Quebec, a key market for our business,” Karine Moses, vice-chair of Bell in Québec, said in a statement.

Bell says Quebec residents will benefit from the merger given its investments in network infrastructure in the province. This will allow the Quebec-based company to grow its resource and provide a larger scale to deliver its services.

“This acquisition will enable EBOX to continue to provide great value and service to our customers … and make EBOX available to even more residents and businesses in the years to come,” Isis Thiago De Souza, VP of EBOX, said in a statement.

The founders of EBOX initiated the sale, Bell notes in the statement. It will continue operations in Longueuil, Québec.

Source: Bell