Bell Canada announced May 27 it will deploy a new encryption platform for its Bell ExpressVu direct-to-home satellite television service to help protect against signal theft. As of July 1, all television programming received by Bell ExpressVu subscribers will be distributed on the new platform.

Bell Canada began laying the groundwork for the new platform last August when it began distributing smartcards to support the new system to more than 1 million customers who purchased digital TV receivers before September 2004. The company said more than 92 percent of this subset of subscribers has been equipped with the new technology. Systems sold since September 2004 already have been equipped with the technology to operate on the new security platform.