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Long-term debt (Tables) | 12 Months Ended
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Dec. 31, 2018
Financial Instruments [Abstract] |
Summary of Long-Term Debt |
| NOTE | WEIGHTED AVERAGE INTEREST RATE AT DECEMBER 31, 2018 |  | December 31, 2018 |  | December 31, 2017 |  | January 1, 2017 |
Notes payable(1) | 26 | 2.82 | % | 3,201 |  | 3,151 |  | 2,649 |
Loans secured by trade receivables | 26 | 2.83 | % | 919 |  | 921 |  | 931 |
Long-term debt due within one year(2) |  | 5.16 | % | 525 |  | 1,106 |  | 835 |
Unsecured committed term credit facility(3) |  |  |  | — |  | — |  | 479 |
Net unamortized discount |  |  |  | — |  | — |  | (1 | )
Unamortized debt issuance costs |  |  |  | — |  | — |  | (6 | )
Total long-term debt due within one year | 22 |  |  | 525 |  | 1,106 |  | 1,307 |
Total debt due within one year |  |  |  | 4,645 |  | 5,178 |  | 4,887 |
(1) | Includes commercial paper of $2,314 million in U.S. dollars ($3,156 million in Canadian dollars) , $2,484 million in U.S. dollars ($3,116 million in Canadian dollars) and $1,945 million in U.S. dollars ($2,612 million in Canadian dollars) as at December 31, 2018, December 31, 2017 and January 1, 2017, respectively, which were issued under our U.S. commercial paper program and have been hedged for foreign currency fluctuations through forward currency contracts. See Note 26, Financial and capital management, for additional details.
(2) | Included in long-term debt due within one year is the current portion of finance leases of $466 million, $445 million and $435 million as at December 31, 2018, December 31, 2017 and January 1, 2017, respectively.
(3) In 2017, Bell Canada repaid $357 million in U.S. dollars (approximately $480 million in Canadian dollars) representing all of the borrowings outstanding under its unsecured committed term credit facility. Accordingly, this credit facility was closed and the cross currency basis swap which was used to hedge the U.S. currency exposure under such credit facility was settled. See Note 26, Financial and capital management, for additional details.
Securitized trade receivables
| NOTE | WEIGHTED AVERAGE INTEREST RATE AT DECEMBER 31, 2018 | MATURITY | December 31, 2018 |  | December 31, 2017 |  | January 1, 2017 |
| Debt securities |  |  |  |  |  |  |
|  | 1997 trust indenture |  | 3.85 | % |  | 2020-2047 | 14,750 |  | 14,950 |  | 13,600 |
|  | 1976 trust indenture |  | 9.54 | % |  | 2021-2054 | 1,100 |  | 1,100 |  | 1,100 |
|  | 2011 trust indenture(1) |  | 4.00 | % |  | 2024 | 225 |  | 425 |  | — |
|  | 2001 trust indenture(1) |  |  |  |  | — |  | 200 |  | — |
|  | 2016 U.S. trust indenture (2) |  | 4.46 | % |  | 2048 | 1,569 |  | — |  | — |
|  | 1996 trust indenture (subordinated) |  | 8.21 | % |  | 2026-2031 | 275 |  | 275 |  | 275 |
| Finance leases | 15 | 6.67 | % |  | 2019-2047 | 2,097 |  | 2,172 |  | 2,260 |
| Unsecured committed term credit facility(3) |  |  |  |  | — |  | — |  | 479 |
| Other |  |  |  |  | 308 |  | 195 |  | 188 |
Total debt |  |  |  |  | 20,324 |  | 19,317 |  | 17,902 |
| Net unamortized premium |  |  |  |  | 21 |  | 50 |  | 18 |
| Unamortized debt issuance costs |  |  |  |  | (60 | ) | (46 | ) | (41 | )
| Less: |  |  |  |  |  |  |
|  | Amount due within one year | 21 |  |  |  | (525 | ) | (1,106 | ) | (1,307 | )
Total long-term debt |  |  |  |  | 19,760 |  | 18,215 |  | 16,572 |
(1) | As part of the acquisition of MTS, on March 17, 2017, Bell Canada assumed all of MTS’ debt issued under its 2001 and 2011 trust indentures. The 2001 trust indenture was closed following the redemption in October 2018 of the remaining outstanding notes under such trust indenture.
(2) | In 2018, Bell Canada issued notes under the 2016 U.S. trust indenture for an aggregate amount of $1,150 million in U.S. dollars ($1,493 million in Canadian dollars), which have been hedged for foreign currency fluctuations through cross currency basis swaps. See Note 26 , Financial and capital management , for additional details.
(3) | In 2017, Bell Canada repaid $357 million in U.S. dollars ($480 million in Canadian dollars) representing all of the borrowings outstanding under its unsecured committed term credit facility. Accordingly, this credit facility was closed and the cross currency basis swap which was used to hedge the U.S. currency exposure under such credit facility was settled. See Note 26, Financial and capital management, for additional details.

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