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Bell MTS Inc. (formerly Manitoba Telecom Services) is a subsidiary of BCE Inc. that operates telecommunications services in Manitoba.
Originally established as Manitoba Government Telephones after the Government of Manitoba purchased the Manitoba assets of Bell Canada, the corporation was privatized in 1996. On March 17, 2017, Bell regained control of MTS after the Bell Canada group's holding company BCE Inc. closed its $3.9 billion acquisition of the provider and, for regulatory reasons, Bell divested approximately one third of MTS's wireless business (including subscribers and retail outlets) to Telus, and a smaller portion to the new entrant Xplornet. Under Bell ownership, Bell MTS will serve as the headquarters of Bell's telecom businesses in western Canada.
A trial of Mobile radio-telephone service, a technology that was developed by AT&T, took place early in 1948. An earlier trial of wireless telephone service was conducted in northern Manitoba mining towns.
Also in the late 1950s, MTS located one of its administrative offices on Empress St. near the newly opened Polo Park complex. In 2000 these employees were moved to 333 Main St., commonly known as MTS Place, where 1,500 employees now work. This formed part of the Province's Downtown First strategy.
In July 1979, MTS announced that it would be a pioneer in Telidon-based two-way electronic information services. The trial was called "Project IDA" and ran from 1980 to 1981.
They opened MTS Phone Centre stores in shopping malls to sell residential and business phones and services, and in 1984 opened two MTS Business Centre locations (Commodity Exchange Tower lobby and Empress St. office) to provide sales of business-level equipment.
In the mid-1980s, MTS started a subsidiary known as MTX, which had invested in telecommunications in Saudi Arabia. However MTX was forced to shut down after controversy about the company back in Manitoba after MTX lost $27 million on the venture.
In the late 1980s MTS launched MTS Mobility providing cellular and paging services in Manitoba after competitor Rogers Wireless was allowed to set up the cellular radio infrastructure and market the service before MTS.
In January 1999, MTS partnered with Bell Canada to form Intrigna, a Competitive Local Exchange Carrier (CLEC) which was created to expand telecommunications options for the business market in Alberta and British Columbia. As part of the deal, Bell Canada gained 20% ownership of MTS. They set up a jointly operated office in Calgary. By the summer of 1999, fibre optic cable had been laid in Edmonton and Calgary, and later extended to Vancouver, British Columbia.
In August 1999, MTS completed work on a new trunked (digital) radio system known as FleetNet 800, technology licensed from neighbouring SaskTel.
In the Fall of 1999, MTS began to offer DSL high-speed Internet service in Winnipeg and Brandon, which later expanded to other areas of the province.
In 2003, MTS purchased the naming rights for the True North Centre in downtown Winnipeg, renaming it the MTS Centre. The 10-year deal between True North Sports & Entertainment and MTS, which was MTS's single largest advertising expenditure, was extended when the arena became a National Hockey League venue in 2011.
In February 2004, MTS sold its 40% stake in Intrigna to Bell Canada for $230 million.
In April 2004, MTS acquired Allstream, the successor to the transcontinental railways' telegraph businesses. It renamed the main subsidiary to MTS Allstream Inc. until 2012, when it was split as MTS Inc. and Allstream Inc.
On December 7, 2005, former BCE executive Pierre Blouin was named chief executive officer of Manitoba Telecom Services and of MTS Allstream, replacing longtime CEO Bill Fraser.
MTS' older CDMA network continues to work with CDMA handsets. According to the MTS website, MTS plans on shutting down its CDMA service by the end of 2016.
In May 2013, Allstream was to be sold to Accelero Capital, with the deal expected to close by the end of the year. However, on October 7, 2013, the Canadian government blocked the sale over national security concerns, declining to mention the specific concerns.
In November 2014, Jay A. Forbes was appointed as CEO effective January 1, 2015.
On November 23, 2015 it was announced that Allstream Inc would be sold to Zayo Group in a cash transaction deal worth $465 million.
The deal faced criticism for the possibility that it would result in a higher cost of services. Due to the market positioning of MTS as a fourth major wireless carrier in the region, the three major national carriers have historically offered lower prices in Manitoba to remain competitive. As such, with the removal of a competitor, there would no longer be an incentive to do so. A similar business climate exists in Saskatchewan, where the three national carriers must compete against the dominant, government-owned regional carrier SaskTel. A survey by the Angus Reid Institute found that 61% of those surveyed moderately or strongly disapproved of the deal.
On December 20, 2016, the CRTC approved the sale of MTS's broadcast distribution undertakings to Bell. On February 15, 2017, the deal was approved by the Competition Bureau and Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada. To relieve concerns over the reduction of wireless competition in Manitoba post-merger, Bell additionally agreed to divest 24,700 customers, 6 retail locations, and wireless spectrum to rural internet provider Xplornet so it may launch its own competing wireless business. Bell will provide Xplornet with "expedited access" to its towers for five years, as well as roaming and handset stock. This aspect of the deal will maintain the presence of four competing wireless providers in Manitoba, with the fourth being a new entrant to the market.
The acquisition closed on March 17, 2017; at this time, Dan McKeen (who led the integration of Bell Aliant into the company's national operations) was installed as the new head of the division, replacing the outgoing Jay Forbes. Along with the closure of the deal, Bell launched LTE service in Churchill, Manitoba. Bell stated that it intended to maintain MTS's existing wireless pricing structure for at least a year after the closure of the acquisition. Rates for all other Bell MTS services were raised in September 2017. The MTS Centre was renamed to Bell MTS Place on May 30, 2017, following Bell Canada’s acquisition of MTS.
In October 2018, Bell MTS began to integrate its wireless subscribers into the national Bell Mobility business.
In late August 2019, BellMTS announced that it will no longer serve some rural communities with wireless Internet service via the "rural Internet program" because of a decrease in wholesale fees mandated by the CRTC.
On June 15, 2021, following the expiration of Bell MTS’ naming rights, True North Sports & Entertainment, the operator of Bell MTS Place, announced that the naming rights to the arena had been sold to Canada Life under a 10-year agreement.
The MTS Long Distance Gateway is located in the J.F. Mills Building on Corydon Avenue near what is locally known as Confusion Corner. One of its functions is to transmit local television signals from Winnipeg to retransmitters throughout the province. However, since 2011 MTS no longer transmits CBC television and Radio-Canada television signals by satellite and since no longer performs this function for CTV as satellites and fibre-optic technologies have replaced. Bell MTS is the former naming rights holder of a venue in Winnipeg, the Bell MTS Iceplex.
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