Goodwill

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2020



Note 21			Goodwill

The following table provides details about the changes in the carrying amounts of goodwill for the years ended December 31, 2020 and 2019. BCE’s groups of CGUs correspond to our reporting segments.


	NOTE	BELL WIRELESS	BELL WIRELINE	BELL MEDIA	BCE

Balance at January 1, 2019		3,046	4,681	2,931	10,658
Acquisitions and other		—	(6)	15	9
Balance at December 31, 2019		3,046	4,675	2,946	10,667
Acquisitions and other		—	52	—	52
Discontinued operations	3	—	(115)	—	(115)
Balance at December 31, 2020		3,046	4,612	2,946	10,604



Impairment testing

As described in Note 2, Significant accounting policies, goodwill is tested annually for impairment or when there is an indication that goodwill may be impaired, by comparing the carrying value of a CGU or group of CGUs to the recoverable amount, where the recoverable amount is the higher of fair value less costs of disposal or value in use.

During the second quarter of 2020, we identified indicators that goodwill for our Bell Media group of CGUs may be impaired as a result of the economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, notably declines in advertising revenues, lower subscriber revenues and increases in discount rates. Impairment testing of goodwill during 2020 for the Bell Media group of CGUs did not result in an impairment of goodwill.

RECOVERABLE AMOUNT

The recoverable amount for each of the Bell Wireless and Bell Wireline groups of CGUs is its value in use. The recoverable amount for the Bell Media group of CGUs is its fair value less costs of disposal.

The recoverable amount for a CGU or group of CGUs is determined by discounting five-year cash flow projections derived from business plans reviewed by senior management. The projections reflect management’s expectations of revenue, segment profit, capital expenditures, working capital and operating cash flows, based on past experience and future expectations of operating performance. Revenue and cost projections for the Bell Media group of CGUs also reflect market participant assumptions.

Cash flows beyond the five-year period are extrapolated using perpetuity growth rates. None of the perpetuity growth rates exceed the long-term historical growth rates for the markets in which we operate.

The discount rates are applied to the cash flow projections and are derived from the weighted average cost of capital for each CGU or group of CGUs.

The following table shows the key assumptions used to estimate the recoverable amounts of the groups of CGUs.


	ASSUMPTIONS USED
	PERPETUITY		DISCOUNT
GROUPS OF CGUs	GROWTH RATE		RATE
Bell Wireless	0.8	%	9.1	%
Bell Wireline	1.0	%	6.0	%
Bell Media	0.5	%	8.5	%

The recoverable amounts determined in a prior year for the Bell Wireless and Bell Wireline groups of CGUs exceed their corresponding current carrying values by a substantial margin and have been carried forward and used in the impairment test for the current year. We believe that any reasonable possible change in the key assumptions on which the estimate of recoverable amounts of the Bell Wireless or Bell Wireline groups of CGUs is based would not cause their carrying amounts to exceed their recoverable amounts.For the Bell Media group of CGUs, the recoverable amount determined in the second quarter of 2020 has been carried forward and used in the annual impairment test. A decrease of (0.6%) in the perpetuity growth rate or an increase of 0.4% in the discount rate would have resulted in its recoverable amount being equal to its carrying value.