BCE Inc. - Expertech and SNC-Lavalin Pool Their Expertise; SNC-Lavalin Acquires a 25 Percent Interest in Bell Canada Subsidiary.

MONTREAL--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Feb. 23, 1999--Bell Canada and SNC-Lavalin Group Inc. today announced they have signed an agreement to create new business opportunities for SNC-Lavalin and Expertech Network Installation Inc. (Expertech), a subsidiary of Bell Canada. The agreement covers the two companies' activities in the sector of wireline telecommunications network construction and installation.

Under this collaborative agreement, SNC-Lavalin will hold a 25 per cent share in Expertech. The transaction will enable SNC-Lavalin to take advantage of Bell Canada's leadership and Expertech's recognized expertise in the field of wireline telecommunications network construction and installation. Expertech will benefit from SNC-Lavalin's national and international network for new business development, and from its vast experience in project management and financing.

"Our goal is to position ourselves as a world leader in every sector we work in," said Jacques Lamarre, president and CEO of SNC- Lavalin Group. "Our alliance with Expertech corresponds with this objective in that it consolidates our telecommunications expertise and opens up new markets."

"This transaction with SNC-Lavalin dovetails perfectly with our strategic growth plan," said Guy Marier, president of Bell Quebec. "New partnerships and strategic alliances in promising sectors enable us to sharpen our competitive edge by taking advantage of growth opportunities and by breaking into new markets."

The transaction will in no way affect Expertech's personnel or existing operations. In fact, Bell believes that Expertech's employees will enjoy career advancement opportunities within a dynamic company that can seize new growth opportunities and raise its national and international profile.

Expertech Network Installation Inc., a subsidiary of Bell Canada with annual revenues of $250 million, is active in the construction and installation of wireline telecommunications networks. The company, created with the 1996 merger of two Bell divisions involved in network installation, has more than 1,600 employees. Expertech's Internet Web site is located at http://www.expertech.net.

"Expertech has given itself the mandate of providing the broadest possible range of network installation services, both nationally and internationally," said Jon Babulic, Expertech's president and chief operating officer. "This new alliance with SNC-Lavalin will undoubtedly contribute greatly to the continued growth of Expertech."

SNC-Lavalin Group is Canada's largest engineering and construction firm and one of the most prominent in the world. The group and its companies have 6,500 employees currently working in offices across Canada and in about 30 other countries, and on projects in some 100 countries. The company is listed on the Montreal and Toronto stock exchanges. SNC-Lavalin's news releases are available on its Web site, at the following address: http://www.snc-lavalin.com.

Bell Canada, the largest Canadian telecommunications operating company, markets a full range of state-of-the-art products and services to more than seven million business and residential customers in Ontario and Quebec. Bell Canada's Internet Web site is located at http://www.bell.ca. News releases, speeches and background information are in the library under the main menu. Our e-mail address is [e-mail]