Bell targets cord-cutters with app launch

Fibe Alt TV is available to Bell Fibe internet customers and offers up to 500 live television channels on a variety of screens.

tv-ipad-smartphone-computerBell has launched a new live and on-demand television app, with no cable subscription or set-top box required.

Fibe Alt TV is available to Bell Fibe internet customers in Ontario and Quebec, with the service set to be rolled out in Atlantic Canada and Manitoba at a later date. It offers a starting package of 30 channels, including major Canadian and U.S. networks, which can be viewed on a laptop, smartphone, tablet or Apple TV for a base price of $14.95 per month. Consumers can also add individual channels to build their own packages, with more than 500 channels to pick from.

BCE CEO George Cope announced that the company would release a new OTT product during its Q1 conference call. At the time, he said the product was meant to address the issue of viewers substituting linear television for OTT services.

In a release announcing the new app, Rizwan Jamal, president of Bell Residential and Small Business Services said Alt TV is designed for Canadians who are looking for live TV experiences “beyond traditional options.”

The release also states the app operates as a licensed broadcast service on the Bell Fibe broadband network at home, meaning consumers won’t be subject to data usage or fees when using the service in the comfort of their living rooms.