Xplore Mobile Inc., the Manitoba wireless carrier created out of BCE Inc.’s acquisition of Bell MTS, is shutting down, according to an internal company memo obtained by The Globe.
A spokesperson for rural internet provider Xplornet Communications Inc. did not immediately respond to a request for comment. To address those concerns, BCE, which owns Bell Canada, agreed to transfer 24,700 wireless customers, 40 MHz of wireless spectrum licences and six retail stores to Xplornet, creating a new wireless player called Xplore Mobile. BCE sold another chunk of wireless subscribers and retail stores to Telus for $300-million.
The company says it was unable to overcome the “cloud of uncertainty” created by regulatory delays and is no longer financially feasible. It will cease operations on Aug. 31. Xplornet Communications Inc. did not immediately respond to a request for comment.