Aliant
Encyclopedia : A : AL : ALI : Aliant
Bell Aliant Regional Communications is a communications company providing services primarily in rural areas throughout eastern Canada, as Aliant in Atlantic Canada and as Bell in central Canada. It is publicly traded through the Bell Aliant Regional Communications Income Fund (TSX: [BA.UN]
Bell Canada presently owns 73.5% of the group, to be reduced to 45% at some later point following a share distribution to existing shareholders of Bell's parent company, BCE. However, Bell will continue to exercise management control. Shareholders of the former Aliant Inc. received shares representing 26.5% of the firm.
History
On March 7, 2006, Bell and Aliant [announced] plans to merge Aliant's operations into those of Bell. Specifically, Aliant's "high growth" wireless and retail (DownEast) networks would be folded into Bell's wholly-owned Bell Mobility and Bell World operations, respectively. Aliant, under a new income trust structure, would acquire Bell's "regional" landline operations (i.e. outside of major city centres) in Ontario and Quebec. The transaction was [completed] on July 7, 2006.
The purpose was to separate out the more stable (or low-growth) parts of Bell's holdings, i.e. wireline operations in markets with relatively little competition, to satisfy investors. The restructuring is not expected to have any effect on end consumers in terms of existing pricing or bundling practices. Meanwhile, Bell Canada proper continues to have full control over its wireless and satellite/cable operations throughout Canada, as well as wireline operations in major centres such as Toronto, Ottawa, Montreal, and surrounding areas.
Bell Aliant has also assumed Bell's 63.4% interests in both NorthernTel and Télébec, the remainder in both cases being owned by the Bell Nordiq Income Fund. Both firms continue to operate their own wireless networks.
Until 1999, Aliant Communications was the name of a small telephone company serving Lincoln, Nebraska and area, which was acquired that year by ALLTEL. Following this acquisition, Aliant Communications adopted the ALLTEL brand and transferred its rights in the Aliant name to the then-new Canadian entity.
Operations
In Atlantic Canada, Aliant's services include high-speed and dial-up internet access, wireline telephone service, and IPTV cable television. Its main rivals are the region's incumbent cable providers - EastLink (N.S. / P.E.I.), Rogers Communications (N.B. / N.L.), and Persona (rural N.L.).
Services in Ontario and Quebec are similar, except that Bell Canada itself retains responsbility for any IPTV services there.
See also
External links
References
From Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia. Original article here. Support Wikipedia by contributing or donating.
All text is available under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License See Wikipedia Copyrights for details.