Bell Canada has entered into an agreement with Cohere to utilize the artificial intelligence infrastructure provided by Cohere through Bell AI Fabric, in collaboration with two other companies. As part of the deal, Bell will offer data center capacity in Merritt, B.C. Additionally, Buzz High Performance Computing, a subsidiary of Hive Digital Technologies Ltd., will leverage Quebec-based Hypertec’s hardware cluster and Nvidia accelerated computing to establish an AI-native cloud layer to support high-performance AI workloads.
Cohere, headquartered in Toronto, will leverage this platform to operate its foundational models and deliver secure, enterprise-grade AI solutions for government and corporate clients. The four companies aim to create an environment conducive to conducting essential research and development for AI models utilizing Canadian infrastructure.
Michel Richer, president of Bell AI Fabric, emphasized the significance of the agreement in advancing organizations from experimental stages to production on Canadian-based infrastructure. Bell introduced Bell AI Fabric over a year ago to cater to the AI requirements of Canadian businesses and governmental entities, spanning strategy development, application deployment, and infrastructure provisioning.
BCE Inc., Bell’s parent company, has raised its revenue target for the expanding AI business, aiming to generate approximately $2 billion in revenue from AI-powered enterprise solutions by 2028. As part of its strategic shift towards tech services, BCE launched Ateko and Bell Cyber brands last year, witnessing significant revenue growth from AI-powered solutions offered by these brands.
Last July, Bell and Cohere announced a partnership to provide comprehensive sovereign AI solutions to government and enterprise clients nationwide. By integrating Cohere’s agentic AI platform North into Bell AI Fabric, the companies aimed to empower customers to develop AI agents and automation solutions without the burden of managing AI infrastructure.
Michael Pelosi, Cohere’s country manager for Canada, highlighted the importance of ensuring data protection, security, and reliability in deploying AI solutions for enterprises and governments. The partnership between Bell and Cohere enhances Cohere’s ability to offer advanced AI solutions tailored to Canadian requirements on a secure and reliable infrastructure.