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Bell calls on Ottawa to Build, Connect and Grow Canada with smart policies

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New campaign shows how private sector broadband investments power, transform and grow Canada’s economyBell calls on the federal government and the CRTC to implement smart policies that unlock billions in private investments in critical infrastructure

MONTRÉAL, May 12, 2025 /CNW/ – Bell Canada today announced the launch of Build. Connect. Grow Canada., a national multimedia campaign calling on the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission’s (CRTC) and the federal government to implement smart policies that will grow the economy by unlocking billions worth of private sector investments to build fibre networks.

Today, 7.8 million homes and businesses across Bell’s footprint have access to its pure fibre network. However, the CRTC has put further investment and greater connectivity at risk.

Since 2020, Bell has invested almost $23 billion to expand its pure fibre network. These high-speed networks are critical infrastructure that power Canada’s economy, support jobs and enhance connectivity for Canadian homes and businesses.

The CRTC decision allowing TELUS, Rogers and Bell to resell on each other’s fibre networks undermines the business case for further investment in new network builds, jeopardizing billions of dollars that companies are ready to invest to expand high-speed Internet for Canadians.

As a result of the CRTC policy, Bell has revised its fibre build target down by 1.5 million locations and cut capital expenditures by $500 million this year alone. 

Less private investment means fewer jobs along Bell’s supply chain, diminished network resilience and fewer Canadians getting access to the world’s best Internet technology, particularly in rural, remote and Indigenous communities – at a time when Canada can least afford it.

Reversing the CRTC’s policy will eliminate regulatory uncertainty and unlock billions worth of nation-building investments that are critical to transform and protect Canada’s economy.

To learn more about the Build. Connect. Grow Canada. campaign, visit BCE.ca/Build.

Quote

“For 145 years, Bell has helped build, connect and grow Canada. We are more than just a communications company, we are builders of Canada’s critical infrastructure – a crucial foundation for economic growth and national security. As Canada faces threats to its economy and sovereignty, it is more important than ever to encourage investment from strong Canadian companies like Bell that want to build, connect and grow Canada. We are calling on the CRTC and federal government to implement smart policies that will unlock billions in private sector investment that keeps Canada’s networks strong while powering, transforming, and growing our economy.”

–       Robert Malcolmson, Executive Vice President and Chief Legal & Regulatory Officer

Quick Facts

According to a recent survey of 4,000 Canadians by spark* advocacy, 79% of Canadians agree that allowing large players like TELUS and Bell to resell each others’ networks won’t increase price competition but will decrease investment in building bigger and better broadband networks.1The same survey found that 74% of Canadians agree that if we remove the incentive for a company to build a network, Canada will end up worse off in the long run.2

About Bell

Bell is Canada’s largest communications company,3 providing advanced broadband Internet, wireless, TV, media and business communication services. Founded in Montréal in 1880, Bell is wholly owned by BCE Inc. To learn more, please visit Bell.ca or BCE.ca.

Through Bell for Better, we are investing to create a better today and a better tomorrow by supporting the social and economic prosperity of our communities. This includes the Bell Let’s Talk initiative, which promotes Canadian mental health with national awareness and anti-stigma campaigns like Bell Let’s Talk Day and significant Bell funding of community care and access, research and workplace leadership initiatives throughout the country. To learn more, please visit Bell.ca/LetsTalk.

Media inquiries

Media@bell.ca 

Caution Concerning Forward-Looking Statements

Certain statements made in this news release are forward-looking statements, including statements relating to Bell Canada’s revised fibre build and capital expenditures targets and other statements that are not historical facts. All such forward-looking statements are made pursuant to the “safe harbour” provisions of applicable Canadian securities laws and of the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements are subject to inherent risks and uncertainties and are based on several assumptions which give rise to the possibility that actual results or events could differ materially from our expectations. These statements are not guarantees of future performance or events, and we caution you against relying on any of these forward-looking statements. The forward-looking statements contained in this news release describe Bell Canada’s expectations at the date of this news release and, accordingly, are subject to change after such date. Except as may be required by applicable securities laws, Bell Canada does not undertake any obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements contained in this news release, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. Bell Canada’s revised fibre build and capital expenditures targets are subject to certain risks and uncertainties and are based on certain assumptions including, without limitation, the prevailing regulatory environment as well as Bell Canada’s financial performance and available liquidity to fund capital expenditures. Accordingly, there can be no assurance that such revised targets will be achieved. For additional information on assumptions and risks underlying certain of our forward-looking statements made in this news release, please consult BCE Inc.’s (BCE) 2024 Annual MD&A dated March 6, 2025, BCE’s 2025 First Quarter MD&A dated May 7, 2025 and BCE’s news release dated May 8, 2025 announcing its financial results for the first quarter of 2025, filed with the Canadian provincial securities regulatory authorities (available at sedarplus.ca) and with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (available at SEC.gov). These documents are also available at BCE.ca.

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1 Survey conducted by spark* advocacy and Spring Omnibus Survey on behalf of Bell Canada, April 2025

2 Survey conducted by spark* advocacy and Spring Omnibus Survey on behalf of Bell Canada, April 2025

3 Based on total revenue and total combined customer connections.

 

SOURCE Bell Canada (MTL)

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Truemed and Highmark Benefits Administration Partner to Expand Access to Root‑Cause Healthcare and Enable Employers to Reach Benefits Goals

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AUSTIN, Texas, May 1, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Truemed, the leading platform enabling qualified health purchases with HSA and FSA dollars, today announced a strategic partnership with Highmark Benefits Administration, a trusted provider of comprehensive, compliance‑driven solutions committed to providing A+ benefits administration services to clients nationwide.

The partnership aligns two organizations focused on delivering innovative, cost-effective solutions that help clients achieve business goals while empowering employees to use their benefits confidently and proactively. By integrating Truemed’s medically-necessary qualification process with Highmark’s service‑driven administrative infrastructure, employers can offer a broader range of eligible health interventions while maintaining clarity, compliance, and operational efficiency.

Through this collaboration, eligible Highmark participants can use pre‑tax HSA and FSA funds on evidence‑based, root‑cause health solutions— including fitness and movement programs, nutrition and supplement options, stress‑management tools, and other medically‑necessary interventions designed to help employees proactively improve their health.

“At Highmark Benefits Administration, we understand that managing employee benefits and plan compliance can be a daunting task, but it doesn’t have to be,” said Dan Bearden, Founder and Director of Highmark. “Partnering with Truemed expands what’s possible with HSA and FSA dollars while maintaining the clarity and compliance confidence our clients rely on. We’re excited to help participants access more meaningful health solutions.”

“Highmark has built a reputation for exceptional service and operational excellence,” said Justin Mares, CEO of Truemed. “This partnership builds on that foundation by giving eligible participants access to root‑cause health interventions that have been shown to improve health outcomes and chronic condition management. Together, we’re helping employers offer benefits that are simple, compliant, and truly impactful.”

Learn more at: truemed.com/a/highmark

Truemed is for qualified customers. See terms at truemed.com/disclosures.

About Truemed

Truemed partners with consumer health brands and benefits administrators to enable HSA and FSA payments for root‑cause healthcare expenses. Through licensed practitioner review and IRS‑aligned documentation, Truemed helps qualified individuals invest in medically necessary products and services using pre‑tax dollars. Learn more at truemed.com.

About Highmark Benefits Administration

Highmark Benefits Administration provides comprehensive, cost‑effective benefits administration services designed to simplify complexity and support employer goals. With expertise in enrollment and eligibility management, COBRA administration, FSA/HSA/HRA programs, compliance reporting, carrier billing, and employee communication, Highmark delivers exceptional service backed by modern technology solutions. Learn more at highmarkbenadmin.com.

Media Contact:
Tom Dahl
tom@truemed.com

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/truemed-and-highmark-benefits-administration-partner-to-expand-access-to-rootcause-healthcare-and-enable-employers-to-reach-benefits-goals-302760163.html

SOURCE Truemed

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DistrictWON’s uReport Partners with KOIN to Usher Back Local Sports Coverage to Every Community

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PORTLAND, Ore., May 1, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — KOIN 6 is proud to announce a groundbreaking partnership with uReport, bringing comprehensive, community-driven sports coverage to every high school across the entire metro Portland and southwestern Washington markets.

Through this initiative, KOIN is offering uReport, a human-powered, AI-assisted platform widely endorsed across high schools and colleges nationwide, fully-funded to all high schools in the region. uReport is ISTE EdTech Index Approved and listed in the ISTE Learning Technology Directory, a vetted resource used by educators to identify high-quality digital learning tools.

This partnership empowers schools, students, and communities to create and share stories, highlights, and updates across all sports, while amplifying that content across KOIN.com. uReport is already endorsed by leading organizations including the National Interscholastic Athletic Administrators Association, College Sports Communicators and other groups representing over 17,000 high schools and colleges.

“Local sports coverage has historically reached the biggest schools and the biggest games. uReport flips that. Every school in our market — from the 6A powerhouse to the 1A program with 80 kids — now has a dedicated platform on KOIN.com,” said Tom Keeler, Vice President & General Manager of KOIN.

Key benefits for each school & community include:

A dedicated content platform for every school.The ability to cover every game, every sport at every level and include unlimited pictures and videos.Every school will also be featured on KOIN.com, allowing all schools to consistently make the news!Schools also distribute content onto their own social channels, creating an amazing content library Real-world training for student journalism and responsible use of AI in storytellingA free fan-powered mobile app for real-time contributions from the communityFull customer support for the platform, all year. 

Check out a quick explainer video here: KOIN – Supercharging Your Coverage

KOIN will host three short webinars for Portland market school administrators to learn more. Any administrator is encouraged to participate (administrator, teacher, coach or other, click below to attend):
Tuesday 5/5: 9am PT
Wednesday 5/6: 8am PT
Thursday 5/7: 12pm PT
Schools can self-start and sign-up right now to cover spring events and continue to have access for the entire 2026–27 academic year. Self-start sign-up is easy here: www.ureport.com/koin

For more information, contact uReport Director of Customer Success, Dan McGrath: 216-647-3857; dmcgrath@districtwon.com

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/districtwons-ureport-partners-with-koin-to-usher-back-local-sports-coverage-to-every-community-302760179.html

SOURCE DistrictWON

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Fuutura Outlines Architecture Built for the Cross-Border Stablecoin Corridors the IMF Now Tracks

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As the IMF’s April 2026 Global Financial Stability Report calls for enhanced regulatory oversight of cross-border stablecoin flows to emerging markets, Fuutura’s compliance-first architecture across identity, payments, and trading is built to support exactly this kind of regulatory oversight

PANAMA CITY, Panama, May 1, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Fuutura, a blockchain infrastructure company building a compliance-first financial ecosystem for the global market, today set out its position on rising cross-border stablecoin flows to emerging markets, following the IMF’s call for enhanced regulatory oversight in its April 2026 Global Financial Stability Report.

 

 

The IMF’s findings reflect a structural shift in how money moves across emerging economies. Cross-border flows of the two largest dollar-pegged stablecoins, Tether and USD Coin, rose from approximately $12 billion in early 2020 to $316 billion by early 2025, outpacing flows of Bitcoin and Ethereum. A significant share of those flows has been directed toward emerging markets, with cumulative net inflows accelerating since late 2023. The IMF’s concern is that rapid stablecoin adoption in emerging markets, absent appropriate regulation and backstops, could lead to currency substitution, weaken the transmission of monetary policy, increase capital flow volatility, and create challenges for capital flow management measures.

The IMF report also acknowledges that stablecoins, with adequate regulation, could offer improved settlement efficiency, faster cross-border payments, increased competition in the payment space, and broader access to digital finance. The same flows that warrant enhanced oversight also reflect genuine demand for financial services that legacy infrastructure has consistently failed to deliver in emerging markets.

Fuutura is being built to make both possible at once. A compliance by design approach facilitates the very regulatory oversight the IMF is advocating. That same architecture allows the platform to serve users in markets unreached by legacy financial infrastructure. What that looks like in practice is best described by the people who have built it.

“The IMF’s findings lay bare something that anyone working in cross-border financial services across emerging markets has been seeing for years. The flows are real, the demand is structural, and the existing infrastructure has not been built to give regulators the kind of visibility they need to do their work properly. That is the gap our infrastructure is built to address, across cross-border payments, identity verification, and the trading layer that connects users to the global financial system. Compliance is not something we have layered on top of an existing platform. It is part of how the system functions at every level.”

Ellis McGrath, Co-founder and Chief Technology Officer, Fuutura

The architectural choice that defines Fuutura is the integration of compliance at a foundational level. Most digital asset platforms operate perimeter compliance, with KYC and AML conducted at onboarding and transaction monitoring sitting on top of an existing technology stack. Fuutura’s design records verified KYC and AML attestations on-chain and ties them to the user’s wallet, so that every interaction with the platform is gated by the presence of that attestation at the smart contract level. This applies across the entire ecosystem. Whether a user is opening a wallet, executing a trade on the exchange, or moving funds across borders, the same compliance design governs every interaction. The result is infrastructure where compliance is enforceable on every transaction and auditable by regulators at the on-chain level.

“The platforms that earn regulators’ trust will be the ones that make their work easier. The IMF’s call for proportionate monitoring of stablecoin flows reflects a broader truth about the relationship between innovators and regulators in this industry. Architecture that is open to inspection by default. A company posture that welcomes the questions responsible oversight requires. We believe the future of digital finance depends on builders and regulators working together, and we have designed Fuutura to support that relationship across every product on the platform.”

Oliver Cook KC, Co-founder and Chief Legal Officer, Fuutura

Fuutura is building for a market where existing financial infrastructure has consistently failed to deliver. The cross-border stablecoin corridors identified by the IMF are one part of that market. The broader scope is the millions of people and businesses across emerging economies who require digital identity, secure custody, and access to global financial markets in a single connected environment. The company’s launch marks the beginning of a phased rollout, with further ecosystem development planned as the platform scales across the markets it was designed to serve.

About Fuutura

Fuutura is a blockchain infrastructure company building a compliance-first financial ecosystem facilitating participation in the global financial system from underserved markets with a focus on the Global-South. The platform combines digital identity verification, a wallet, and a trading exchange into one unified ecosystem, giving users access to crypto and tokenised real-world assets through a single environment. Fuutura is pursuing licensing in multiple jurisdictions. Built with KYC and AML integrated at an architectural level, Fuutura is designed to be open to regulatory oversight by design. Fuutura is building infrastructure to extend digital finance to markets that legacy banking has not reached.

Media Contact
Fuutura
pr@fuutura.com

Forward-Looking Statements and Risk Disclosures

Digital asset risk. Digital assets are high-risk and their value may fall as well as rise. Trading digital assets involves significant risk and may not be suitable for all investors. Past performance is not a reliable indicator of future results.

Forward-looking statements. This press release contains forward-looking statements regarding Fuutura, its technology, products, business plans and future conduct, including statements relating to the phased rollout of the ecosystem, regulatory engagement and licensing outcomes, geographic expansion, and market ambitions. Forward-looking statements are identifiable by words such as “building,” “plans,” “intends,” “expects,” “designed to,” “anticipates” and similar expressions, as well as by statements regarding future outcomes, ambitions or strategic direction.

Forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance and are subject to risks, uncertainties and assumptions that could cause actual outcomes to differ materially from those expressed. These include, without limitation, changes in the regulatory environment across jurisdictions; the availability and timing of licensing or authorisation; developments in digital asset markets; technological and cybersecurity risks; operational risks; counterparty and third-party risks; the pace of product development; and other factors beyond Fuutura’s control.

No offer or advice. Nothing in this press release constitutes an offer to sell, a solicitation to purchase, investment advice, or a recommendation in respect of any digital asset, crypto-asset, token, security, or financial product or instrument. Fuutura’s products and services may not be available in all jurisdictions and may be subject to regulatory restrictions. Access to Fuutura’s platform is restricted to residents of jurisdictions where its services are permitted.

No duty to update. Fuutura undertakes no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by applicable law.

This release is not for distribution in the United States, the United Kingdom, the European Union, or in any other jurisdiction where such distribution would be unlawful.

Photo:  https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2970890/Fuutura.jpg
Logo:   https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2965342/5949163/Fuutura_Logo.jpg

 

 

View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/fuutura-outlines-architecture-built-for-the-cross-border-stablecoin-corridors-the-imf-now-tracks-302760188.html

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