Bell & SaskTel: Connecting Canada's Biggest AI Data Centre

Bell AI Fabric is partnering with the Government of Saskatchewan to build a new AI data centre in the Rural Municipality of Sherwood.

It places telco infrastructure at the centre of the project by choosing SaskTel to connect the facility.

The 300MW facility connects directly to Bell’s national fibre backbone and highlights how operators position network assets as the foundation for high-performance computing and AI services.

Bell Canada Enterprises (BCE) describes the development as its largest ever investment in Saskatchewan, aligning with its enterprise strategy built around AI-powered solutions delivered over advanced telecoms networks.

The data centre will be a key part of a wider digital backbone, where fibre connectivity and compute capacity operate together to support enterprise demand.

Fibre and telecoms integration

The project relies on close integration between telecoms infrastructure and data centre capacity.

Bell is partnering with SaskTel, a regional telecommunications provider, to link the site directly into national and regional fibre networks.

Through the partnership, Bell and SaskTel are acting as go-to-market partners, offering AI-powered products and services to customers across the province.

In this way, SaskTel acts as a core provider of AI service delivery, in addition to its primary role as a connectivity source.

The data centre, once complete, will be the biggest AI data centre in Canada, according to Bell.

Mirko Bibic, President and CEO of BCE and Bell Canada, says: "Our largest-ever investment in Saskatchewan will deliver the cutting edge, high-performance compute necessary to innovate at speed, bring major economic benefits to the province and create a competitive advantage for our country.

"Bell is drawing on its historic roots as a Canadian technology leader and nation builder through ambitious projects like Bell AI Fabric, by building a digital backbone to power the future of the Canadian economy.

"We're thrilled to partner with the Government of Saskatchewan to ensure Canada can compete and win in the AI economy."

The integration of fibre and compute allows Bell to position its network as a platform for enterprise services, where low latency and high bandwidth support demanding AI workloads.

Economic value and regional network impact

The 300MW facility is projected to generate up to US$12bn in economic value for Saskatchewan.

Its construction will support at least 800 jobs across trades and engineering, with at least 80 full-time roles once the site is operational.

Industry research also points to a further 750 community jobs linked to a project of this scale.

Scott Moe, Premier of Saskatchewan, says: "This investment by Bell will create jobs, strengthen provincial research capacity, and facilitate the creation of new businesses built on advanced capabilities."

The data centre has attracted major AI infrastructure tenants, Cerebras and CoreWeave.

The two depend on reliable, high-speed network connectivity to deliver services.

Andrew Feldman, CEO of Cerebras, says: "AI is becoming foundational national infrastructure.

"Countries want AI systems that are fast, energy-efficient and sovereign by design and partnering with Bell allows us to bring industry-leading AI compute to Canada in a way that aligns with these national priorities."

Sachin Jain, Chief Operating Officer at cloud computing company CoreWeave, says: "Canada has an extraordinary AI ecosystem, and expanding access to advanced compute will help unlock new opportunities for innovation, economic growth and scientific discovery.

"We're excited to work with Bell AI Fabric to deliver the high-performance AI infrastructure researchers, enterprises and developers need to innovate at scale."

Bell aims for the first phase of the data centre construction to be finished in the first half of 2027, adding capacity to Canada’s growing network of AI infrastructure hubs.

These developments increase demand for high-capacity connectivity from telco companies, strengthening the case for continued fibre investment in both urban and rural areas.

Sovereign AI and community connectivity

A large share of the facility’s capacity supports sovereign AI compute, which ensures that data generated by government and enterprises remains within national borders. 

This requirement increases the importance of domestic infrastructure and secure network design for telcos as governments and enterprises are looking to control where data is stored and processed.

Bell is also exploring partnerships with Saskatchewan Polytechnic and the University of Regina, linking telecoms-enabled infrastructure with education and research.

Their discussions also include a district energy system, with waste heat from the data centre reused to supply nearby campuses and developments.

The company is also entering into an agreement with the George Gordon First Nation, supporting Indigenous procurement participation and workforce development.

The initiatives connect telco infrastructure projects with broader community engagement, extending the impact beyond connectivity and compute.