May 21, 2026 Bell Canada is testing new software aimed at boosting the capacity of its wireless network without building additional infrastructure, as operators grapple with the challenges of serving one of the largest and least densely populated countries in the world. The company and Telus currently share about 11,000 mobile sites across Canada, highlighting the scale constraints facing the country’s telecom networks.
Canada’s vast geography has long shaped how wireless networks are built. Low-band spectrum, such as Bell’s 850MHz holdings, is widely used because it can travel long distances and penetrate obstacles. However, it also creates congestion because it lacks the capacity needed for high-speed, data-heavy services like video streaming.
To address this, operators typically add more spectrum or build additional towers, both costly options. Bell has instead been reducing capital spending, cutting total expenditure from $5.1 billion in 2022 to $3.7 billion last year, and is now exploring alternatives that rely on improving efficiency rather than expanding infrastructure.
One of those alternatives is technology from Cohere Technologies, which aims to increase the efficiency of existing spectrum. Known as a universal spectrum multiplier, the software is designed to boost network capacity by improving how signals are processed, rather than requiring new hardware.
Bell has been trialling the technology in Mississauga, Ontario, where early results showed improvements in spectral efficiency ranging from 30 per cent to 50 per cent on low-band spectrum. The company said the goal is to relieve congestion without the need for densifying the network.
Cohere’s technology builds on orthogonal time frequency space, a communications approach that has attracted interest from organizations including the United States Department of Defense. The company has also secured backing from global telecom players such as Vodafone and Deutsche Telekom, which have conducted their own trials.
Despite these developments, large-scale deployment remains uncertain. Bell’s 5G network infrastructure is supplied by Ericsson and Nokia, both of which control key elements of the radio access network. Integrating third-party technology requires cooperation from these vendors, and neither has fully opened its systems to Cohere.
Industry dynamics also complicate adoption. Equipment vendors generate revenue by selling hardware upgrades, while technologies that improve efficiency could reduce the need for new equipment. This misalignment has slowed integration, even as operators look for ways to manage rising demand without increasing costs.
Bell confirmed that one of its existing vendors has been involved in ongoing trials, though it has not identified which. Ericsson has said it is not participating, suggesting Nokia may be the partner in Canada.
The company has also emphasized the importance of keeping any solution vendor-agnostic, meaning it can operate across multiple suppliers rather than being tied to a single platform. This approach would allow broader deployment if the technology proves viable.
Cohere is continuing to develop additional features, including a system called ECHO that generates detailed telemetry data to help operators analyze and optimize network performance. The company says this data could support future network design and improve efficiency further.
For Bell, the next step is scaling the technology beyond trial environments. Executives say the focus is now on “industrialization,” or integrating the software into a network that spans millions of square miles.
The outcome of these efforts could have broader implications for the telecom industry. If successful, software-based approaches to spectrum efficiency may offer operators a way to expand capacity without the high costs associated with new infrastructure.
