v3.19.2
segment information
6 Months Ended
Jun. 30, 2019
segment information  
segment information

5     segment information

General

Operating segments are components of an entity that engage in business activities from which they earn revenues and incur expenses (including revenues and expenses related to transactions with the other component(s)), the operations of which can be clearly distinguished and for which the operating results are regularly reviewed by a chief operating decision-maker to make resource allocation decisions and to assess performance.

A significant judgment we make is in respect of distinguishing between our wireless and wireline operations and cash flows (and this extends to allocations of both direct and indirect expenses and capital expenditures). The clarity of such distinction has been increasingly affected by the convergence and integration of our wireless and wireline telecommunications infrastructure technology and operations. Less than one-half of the operating expenses included in the segment performance measure reported to our chief operating decision-maker are direct costs; judgment, largely based upon historical experience, is applied in apportioning indirect expenses which are not objectively distinguishable between our wireless and wireline operations. The continued build-out of our technology-agnostic fibre-optic infrastructure, in combination with converged edge network technology, has significantly affected this judgment, as has the commercialization of fixed-wireless telecommunications solutions for customers and the consolidation of our non-customer facing operations. As a result, it has become increasingly difficult and impractical to objectively and clearly distinguish between our wireless and wireline operations and cash flows, and the assets from which those cash flows arise.

As we do not currently aggregate operating segments, our reportable segments as at June 30, 2019, are also wireless and wireline. The wireless segment includes network revenues and equipment sales arising from mobile technologies. The wireline segment includes data revenues (which include Internet protocol; television; hosting, managed information technology and cloud-based services; customer care and business services; certain healthcare solutions; and home and business security), voice and other telecommunications services revenues (excluding wireless arising from mobile technologies), and equipment sales. Segmentation has been based on similarities in technology (mobile versus fixed), the technical expertise required to deliver the services and products, customer characteristics, the distribution channels used and regulatory treatment. Intersegment sales are recorded at the exchange value, which is the amount agreed to by the parties.

The segment information regularly reported to our Chief Executive Officer (our chief operating decision-maker), and the reconciliations thereof to our products and services view of revenues, other revenues and income before income taxes, are set out in the following table.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Wireless

 

Wireline

 

Eliminations

 

Consolidated

Three-month periods ended June 30 (millions)

    

2019

    

2018

    

2019

    

2018

    

2019

    

2018

    

2019

    

2018

Operating revenues

 

  

 

 

  

 

 

  

 

 

  

 

 

  

 

 

  

 

 

  

 

 

  

 

External revenues

 

 

  

 

 

  

 

 

  

 

 

  

 

 

  

 

 

  

 

 

  

 

 

  

Service 

 

$

1,534

 

$

1,503

 

$

1,552

 

$

1,450

 

$

 —

 

$

 —

 

$

3,086

 

$

2,953

Equipment

 

 

444

 

 

418

 

 

57

 

 

69

 

 

 —

 

 

 —

 

 

501

 

 

487

Revenues arising from contracts with customers

 

 

1,978

 

 

1,921

 

 

1,609

 

 

1,519

 

 

 —

 

 

 —

 

 

3,587

 

 

3,440

Other operating income

 

 

 5

 

 

 8

 

 

 5

 

 

 5

 

 

 —

 

 

 —

 

 

10

 

 

13

 

 

 

1,983

 

 

1,929

 

 

1,614

 

 

1,524

 

 

 —

 

 

 —

 

 

3,597

 

 

3,453

Intersegment revenues

 

 

14

 

 

12

 

 

60

 

 

50

 

 

(74)

 

 

(62)

 

 

 —

 

 

 —

 

 

$

1,997

 

$

1,941

 

$

1,674

 

$

1,574

 

$

(74)

 

$

(62)

 

$

3,597

 

$

3,453

Pro forma EBITDA 1 reported to chief operating decision-maker

 

$

919

 

$

872

 

$

454

 

$

433

 

$

 —

 

$

 —

 

$

1,373

 

$

1,305

Retrospective IFRS 16 simulation 2

 

 

 —

 

 

(28)

 

 

 —

 

 

(26)

 

 

 —

 

 

 —

 

 

 —

 

 

(54)

EBITDA 1

 

$

919

 

$

844

 

$

454

 

$

407

 

$

 —

 

$

 —

 

$

1,373

 

$

1,251

CAPEX, excluding spectrum licences 3

 

$

223

 

$

243

 

$

547

 

$

548

 

$

 —

 

$

 —

 

$

770

 

$

791

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Operating revenues – external (above)

    

$

3,597

    

$

3,453

Goods and services purchased

 

 

1,466

 

 

1,491

Employee benefits expense

 

 

758

 

 

711

EBITDA (above)

 

 

1,373

 

 

1,251

Depreciation

 

 

470

 

 

411

Amortization

 

 

163

 

 

148

Operating income

 

 

740

 

 

692

Financing costs

 

 

189

 

 

150

Income before income taxes

 

$

551

 

$

542

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Six-month periods ended June 30

 

Wireless

 

Wireline

 

Eliminations

 

Consolidated

(millions)

    

2019

    

2018

    

2019

    

2018

    

2019

    

2018

    

2019

    

2018

Operating revenues

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

External revenues

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Service

 

$

3,034

 

$

2,982

 

$

3,072

 

$

2,857

 

$

 —

 

$

 —

 

$

6,106

 

$

5,839

Equipment

 

 

863

 

 

822

 

 

107

 

 

130

 

 

 —

 

 

 —

 

 

970

 

 

952

Revenues arising from contracts with customers

 

 

3,897

 

 

3,804

 

 

3,179

 

 

2,987

 

 

 —

 

 

 —

 

 

7,076

 

 

6,791

Other operating income

 

 

10

 

 

15

 

 

17

 

 

24

 

 

 —

 

 

 —

 

 

27

 

 

39

 

 

 

3,907

 

 

3,819

 

 

3,196

 

 

3,011

 

 

 —

 

 

 —

 

 

7,103

 

 

6,830

Intersegment revenues

 

 

27

 

 

23

 

 

116

 

 

102

 

 

(143)

 

 

(125)

 

 

 —

 

 

 —

 

 

$

3,934

 

$

3,842

 

$

3,312

 

$

3,113

 

$

(143)

 

$

(125)

 

$

7,103

 

$

6,830

Pro forma EBITDA 1 reported to chief operating decision-maker

 

$

1,827

 

$

1,736

 

$

925

 

$

891

 

$

 —

 

$

 —

 

$

2,752

 

$

2,627

Retrospective IFRS 16 simulation 2

 

 

 —

 

 

(56)

 

 

 —

 

 

(51)

 

 

 —

 

 

 —

 

 

 —

 

 

(107)

EBITDA 1

 

$

1,827

 

$

1,680

 

$

925

 

$

840

 

$

 —

 

$

 —

 

$

2,752

 

$

2,520

CAPEX, excluding spectrum licences 3

 

$

400

 

$

425

 

$

1,016

 

$

1,016

 

$

 —

 

$

 —

 

$

1,416

 

$

1,441

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Operating revenues – external (above)

    

$

7,103

    

$

6,830

Goods and services purchased

 

 

2,887

 

 

2,899

Employee benefits expense

 

 

1,464

 

 

1,411

EBITDA (above)

 

 

2,752

 

 

2,520

Depreciation

 

 

940

 

 

822

Amortization

 

 

310

 

 

287

Operating income

 

 

1,502

 

 

1,411

Financing costs

 

 

357

 

 

306

Income before income taxes

 

$

1,145

 

$

1,105


(1)

Earnings before interest, income taxes, depreciation and amortization (EBITDA) does not have any standardized meaning prescribed by IFRS-IASB and is therefore unlikely to be comparable to similar measures presented by other issuers; we define EBITDA as operating revenues less goods and services purchased and employee benefits expense. We have issued guidance on, and report, EBITDA because it is a key measure that management uses to evaluate the performance of our business, and it is also utilized in measuring compliance with certain debt covenants.

(2)

For purposes of the chief operating decision-maker’s assessment of performance during the 2019 fiscal year relative to the fiscal 2018 year, we have simulated IFRS 16 adjustments to the fiscal 2018 results in calculating pro forma results. The simulated IFRS 16 adjustments are: (i) a cash-based proxy and should not be considered comparable to the results that would have been reported had IFRS 16 been applied retrospectively to each comparative period applying IAS 8, Accounting Policies, Changes in Accounting Estimates and Errors (see Note 2(a)); and (ii) do not have any standardized meaning prescribed by IFRS-IASB and are therefore unlikely to be comparable to similar measures presented by other issuers.

(3)

Total capital expenditures (CAPEX); see Note 31(a) for a reconciliation of capital expenditures, excluding spectrum licences to cash payments for capital assets, excluding spectrum licences reported in the Consolidated statements of cash flows.