BCE Inc.--Canada's Future Closely Tied to Telecom.

LONDON, Ontario--(BUSINESS WIRE)--May 7, 1996--BCE INC.(ME,TSE,VSE,NYSE:BCE) Canada's future economic success in the global information age is closely tied to the continuing strength and viability of its telecommunications infrastructure, L.R. "Red" Wilson, BCE's chairman and chief executive officer told shareholders here today at the corporation's 13th annual meeting.

"The quality and efficiency of our telecom systems will have a major bearing on whether or not Canadian businesses as a whole are competitive in the new global marketplace," Mr. Wilson said. "And to the extent that our businesses are competitive, they will be able to create the well-paying jobs that are key to a prosperous and secure future.

"This is why a first-class telecom industry is such a critically important link in any jobs strategy for Canada".

In a forward-looking address to shareholders Mr. Wilson profiled the vast changes taking place within the communications industry in Canada and around the world. These changes are being driven by three factors, he said, customer demand for increased value, global competition, and evolving technology that is totally reshaping the industry.

"Consider the impact of the Internet and the World Wide Web alone, and we are looking at developments that will change the way we work, communicate and live, " he said. "Globally, 1995 was the year this communications revolution finally began to happen on `main street'--when the Internet became the subject of talk shows and mass consumer advertising."

The BCE group of companies is an important part of the Canadian economy, Mr. Wilson said, employing more than 75,000 people in Canada and providing tax payments and capital expenditures, both well into the billions of dollars.

As an example, he noted that Nortel accounts for about 20 per cent of the industrial research and development in the country, and that the company has hired 4,800 new graduates from Canadian universities in the last three years alone.

"These facts and figures demonstrate that business is really a great deal more than a financial bottom line. The businesses of the BCE family are in fact integral parts of the economic and social fabric of Canada.

"BCE's prime responsibility is to translate the exciting technological possibilities we have been discussing today into products and services that expand and enrich the lives of people, provide job and career opportunities, particularly for our young men and women, and deliver competitive returns for our shareholders."

The company also announced following its meeting that Ron Osborne, formerly Executive Vice-President and Chief Financial Officer, had been appointed President of BCE Inc., and had been elected to the company's board of directors.

BCE is Canada's largest telecommunications company. Its common shares are listed on stock exchanges in Canada, the United States, Japan and Europe. -0- Note to editors: Photograph available through Canadian Press digital photo service.

CONTACT: BCE Inc.

Marcel Saint-Germain, 519/878-6695

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