Bell is partnering with Montreal-based Hypertec to use its technology in a cluster of data centres in B.C. and then across Canada.

The telecom is looking “to build the largest AI compute project in Canada,” said Michel Richer, Bell’s senior vice-president of enterprise solutions, data engineering and AI. Bell will build the data centres with Hypertec’s Canadian-built GPU technology being deployed in the facilities.

Bell has been pushing for more Canadian-owned and operated data centres for some time. In the 2024 budget, Ottawa committed $2 billion to increase the computing power available to Canadian AI firms and researchers. The federal government has since doled out funding to the University of Toronto and AI firm Cohere.

In May, Bell announced it would build six AI data centres in B.C., starting with one in Kamloops. So far, it has not received any federal funding, said Richer.

While the first data centre opened in June, prior to the partnership with Hypertec, many of Bell’s upcoming facilities will incorporate the firm’s technology and expertise. As well as its GPU infrastructure, Hypertec will also help by providing knowledge on best practices for building large-scale data centres, said Eliot Ahdoot, president of Hypertec Construction, a division at the firm responsible for designing and building such facilities.

Hypertec is currently in the midst of building a new headquarters in the LaSalle borough of Montreal, which will serve as a testing ground for its technology, including carbon capture and grey water recuperation, on data centre projects. Hypertec and Bell both prioritize sustainability, said Ahdoot, and what they learn from the LaSalle centre could be implemented into Bell’s future builds.

Hypertec, too, has been pushing sovereign AI, but has struggled to build data centres in Canada. Hypertec has previously said that stronger demand in the U.S. and a lack of Canadian companies willing to sign long-term contracts are in part to blame. The Bell partnership, Ahdoot added, changes this and is a “concrete step” toward sovereign AI in Canada. 

The companies did not disclose financial details of the deal, though Ahdoot said there is no exclusivity agreement.

While the initial commitment from Bell is for six data centres across B.C., both firms expect more in other provinces in the future. “It is meant to be a multi-year, nation-building project,” said Richer, adding Bell is working to add more data centres to its pipeline with multiple projects in development.

It will not always be possible to work with Canadian-based firms, said Richer, but, he added, Bell tries to work with like-minded Canadian firms where possible.

Ahdoot called the upcoming data centres “the start” of the partnership between the two firms. “We’re not saying, ‘We’ve got six. Thank you very much. It was a nice run. We’re good to go,’” he said. “The idea is to continue.”

Correction: Bell and Hypertec’s partnership does not guarantee that the latter firm’s technology will be used on all future data centre sites. This story has been updated.