Vancouver, British Columbia – August 19, 2025 – BUZZ High Performance Computing (BUZZ HPC), a subsidiary of HIVE Digital Technologies Ltd. (TSX.V: HIVE, NASDAQ: HIVE), has signed a landmark agreement with Bell Canada, a leading telecommunications operator in Canada, to supply high-performance NVIDIA GPU clusters for the Bell AI Fabric platform. This collaboration aims to create one of the largest sovereign artificial intelligence (AI) ecosystems in Canada, providing a secure, scalable, and fully controllable national computing infrastructure for AI, machine learning, and scientific research.
The agreement, signed on August 3, 2025, establishes BUZZ HPC as a key supplier of NVIDIA GPU computing resources based on Ampere, Hopper, and the latest Blackwell chips, connected by the high-speed NVIDIA Quantum-2 InfiniBand network. The equipment will be hosted in Canadian data centers meeting strict national data storage and cybersecurity requirements, addressing growing demands for data protection and digital sovereignty.
The partnership begins with the deployment of a 5-megawatt (MW) cluster in Manitoba, scheduled for late 2025. This phase will lay the groundwork for the further expansion of Bell AI Fabric infrastructure across other regions of Canada, providing nationwide access to advanced computing resources. Bell will integrate BUZZ HPC clusters with its fiber optic network and cloud services, enabling government and corporate clients to efficiently execute tasks related to AI model training and fine-tuning. The partnership also includes collaboration with the Canadian AI company Cohere, which provides customized large language models, complementing the Bell AI Fabric ecosystem.
Bell AI Fabric, announced in May 2025, is a flagship project for creating a national network of AI-focused data centers utilizing clean hydroelectric power. With an overall target of reaching 500 MW capacity at six locations, the project commenced with the launch of a 7 MW center in Kamloops, British Columbia, in partnership with American company Groq. A second 7 MW center in Merritt is scheduled to be operational by the end of the year, followed by a 26 MW academic hub at Thompson Rivers University in 2026.
The partnership between BUZZ HPC and Bell Canada provides government and corporate clients with secure access to high-performance NVIDIA clusters for AI model training, tuning, and deployment. Through integration with Bell’s advanced fiber optic network and data center infrastructure, the collaboration enables Canadian companies and researchers to develop world-class AI solutions while maintaining full control over their data. Frank Holmes, Executive Chairman of BUZZ HPC, noted: "This partnership opens a new era for AI innovation in Canada by providing a national NVIDIA-based infrastructure to lead in this field while preserving digital independence."
HIVE Digital Technologies, initially known as a leader in Bitcoin mining, is actively diversifying its business by developing high-performance computing capabilities. In Q1 2025, the company recorded record revenue and profit driven by the growth of HPC hosting services alongside its core mining business. With a global presence and sustainable infrastructure powered by renewable energy, HIVE is well-positioned to meet the growing demand for computing power for AI.
The partnership underscores Canada's commitment to building a secure and independent AI ecosystem. Combining BUZZ HPC’s GPU expertise, Bell’s telecommunications capabilities, and Cohere software solutions, Bell AI Fabric aims to reduce reliance on foreign cloud providers such as AWS or Microsoft Azure. This presents a competitive advantage for regulated industries like healthcare and finance and strengthens Canada's position as a global leader in sovereign AI infrastructure.