BCE profit edges up on wireless strength

The seemingly endless demand for wireless services got credit for the bulk of BCE Inc.’s growth this quarter, a period in which the telecom giant moved to appeal to people who want new ways to consume its traditional television service.

Canada’s largest telecommunications and media company on Thursday reported third-quarter profit of $752 million per common share, up 1.8 per cent from this period last year.

Earnings per common share remained stable at 87 cents per share in results that fell largely in line with Bay Street’s expectations.

Surprising strength in the wireless segment — Bell added 107,000 wireless subscribers, beating analysts expectations by more than 23,000 — continues to make up for the challenging wireline business, in which IPTV and Internet adds were sluggish compared to this period last year.

More than 118,000 subscribers cut their telephone lines.

But it’s not all bad on the broadcast front. The telecom giant’s video streaming service CraveTV topped one million subscribers, hitting the milestone as its competitor Shomi prepares to fold at the end of November.

Bell also announced it will make its television service available through an app on Apple TV, making it the first major TV provider in Canada to slightly relax its iron grip on distributing TV solely through its own set-top box ecosystem.

U.S. providers have been reluctant to do this over fears their settop boxes will be less lucrative.

While people must be Fibe TV customers and have a Bell set-top box and Bell Internet to use the Apple TV service, it will make it easier to watch TV in homes with multiple televisions, said Nicolas Poitras, vice-president of residential services.

Customers demand flexibility and like flipping between TV and other apps, he said, so Bell is offering its entire TV experience on Apple’s device, too.

He wouldn’t comment on whether there will be a future where consumers can access Bell’s TV without Bell’s set-top box, but he said the innovation will continue.

In a conference call with analysts, CEO George Cope admitted that Bell can do a better job mitigating the pace of decline for its satellite cable business. But he focused on the strength of Bell’s Fibe TV offering and said that investments in wireless network are paying off.