BCE Welcomes Additional Shareholders to Annual Meeting.

MONTREAL--(BUSINESS WIRE)--April 26, 1999--

BCE Inc. (ME:BCE) (TSE:BCE) (VSE:BCE) (NYSE:BCE) confirmed today that it will take special measures to accommodate the unusual number of shareholders expected at the company's annual meeting, April 28 in Hull.

Last week, the union representing Bell Canada's operators and technicians, the Communications, Energy and Paperworkers' Union of Canada (CEP), announced it was encouraging striking workers - some of whom are shareholders - to attend the meeting and express their "frustration and anger" over the current labour situation.

While the union has not confirmed how many striking employees will attend the meeting, the company has cancelled the lunch normally following the meeting, and arranged to use this space as an overflow room that can be used by shareholders once the main meeting room reaches its capacity of 800 people. Typically, the company would host between 600 and 700 shareholders at an annual meeting held in the Hull-Ottawa area. With these measures, the company expects it will be able to accommodate roughly twice the normal number of attendees.

"All shareholders have the right to attend the company's annual meeting and we want to make every reasonable effort to accommodate them," said L.R. Wilson, Chairman of the Board of BCE Inc. "With that right comes the responsibility to conduct oneself in a manner that is considerate of the other shareholders in the audience and to follow established rules and procedures."

Wilson said that he will attempt to carry out the formal part of the meeting as expeditiously as possible so that all shareholders attending the event will be given the opportunity to ask questions or make comments to members of the executive.

BCE is Canada's largest communications company. Through its operations in communications services, BCE provides residence and business customers in Canada with wireline and wireless telecommunications products and applications, satellite communications and direct-to-home television services, systems integration expertise, electronic commerce solutions, Internet access and high-speed data services, and directories. Abroad, through Bell Canada International, BCE provides communications services to an additional 3 million customers in Asia and Latin America. BCE also has an extensive international presence through its ownership in Nortel Networks, a global leader in the design and building of communications networks, as well as through Teleglobe, an international telecommunications carrier. BCE shares are listed in Canada, the United States and Europe.