Bell Canada launches fibre optic Internet service in Toronto

August 23, 2006

Bell Canada today announced the availability of Sympatico Optimax in Toronto, a new dimension in high-speed Internet access, built on the latest in fibre optic technology. Rolling out progressively across Toronto, Sympatico Optimax offers customers a consistent and reliable high-speed Internet connection, including a certified maximum speed of 16 megabits per second (Mbps) service.

"With Sympatico Optimax, consumers enter a new dimension of Internet access, speed and consistency," said Kevin Crull, President, Residential Services, Bell Canada. "Sympatico Optimax builds on Bell's fibre optic network to deliver a remarkable combination of bandwidth and reliability that is unmatched in the Canadian marketplace."

Sympatico Optimax from Bell delivers an advanced fibre optic network closer to homes providing consumers with faster Internet access and more consistent maximum speeds. A consistent and reliable high-speed Internet connection is appealing to Internet users who routinely utilize applications requiring extreme bandwidths without compromise.

"Sympatico Optimax Internet service is designed for a new generation of increasingly sophisticated consumers who have a growing appetite for the latest in digital entertainment, from online games to music to video and beyond. Today's high-speed service users need top-end speed on a consistent basis and Sympatico Optimax is the breakthrough service that address that consumer need now - and the needs that will come with the introduction of increasingly robust online applications," said Crull.

Consumer demand for Internet bandwidth and reliability is exploding among Internet users: Sympatico.MSN.ca has seen a dramatic increase in demand for video content from 2.2 million streams in 2003 to more than 31 million streams in 2005, with current 2006 projections over 60 million.

For more information, please visit www.bell.ca/optimax.