[August 03, 2004] Bell Canada Assumes Full Ownership of Bell West MONTREAL, Aug. 3 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Bell Canada today assumed 100% ownership of Bell West Inc. by purchasing the 40% interest held by Manitoba Telecom Services Inc. (MTS) for $645 million. MTS announced in December 2003 that it intended to sell its interest in Bell West to Bell Canada. Bell's net disbursement to MTS was $570 million in cash. In accordance with the Settlement Agreement signed with MTS on June 30, 2004, Bell received $75 million in consideration of the early termination of commercial agreements existing between the two companies. About Bell Canada Bell Canada, Canada's national leader in communications, provides connectivity to residential and business customers through wired and wireless voice and data communications, local and long distance phone services, high speed and wireless Internet access, IP-broadband services, e-business solutions and direct-to-home satellite service. Bell Canada is wholly owned by BCE Inc. For more information please visit http://www.bell.ca/ . BCE INC. CONTACT: Gina Gottenberg, Bell Media Relations, (403) 410-4221 [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ]