Montréal, December 30, 2011 - Customers who used Québec telecom leader Videotron's products and services during 2011 enjoyed the best experience available in the marketplace on every front: cable TV, Internet access, cable and mobile telephone service. Videotron customers report Canadian industry-leading satisfaction levels and are the most likely to recommend their service provider*. In 2011, the Company continued building on its foundation of customer support by expanding its line of products and services. As a result, it was ranked the most respected telecommunications company in Québec for the sixth consecutive year** and registered the highest customer satisfaction in Eastern Canada–.
The evolution of mobility
Videotron remains the only carrier to allow nearly 3 million Quebecers to talk to each other free of charge. During the year, it added 17 new handsets and tablets to its device line-up, including a number of Québec firsts such as the LG Optimus 2X, HTC PanacheTM and HTC FlyerTM 4G. The additions expanded Videotron's selection of devices powered by Android, the most popular mobile operating system in the world–*.
Videotron's mobile services were also extended to two new regions during the year, Gatineau and Saguenay. Since launching its new mobile service in September 2010, Videotron has installed more than a thousand antennas in Québec and Ontario.
Videotron maintained its leading position in cable telephone service, ranking as the most popular carrier in 156 Québec municipalities.
The best multi-screen experience
Videotron is the uncontested leader in video on demand (VoD) and multi-screen content in Canada, with more than 82 million VoD orders (on TV, Web and mobile) in 2011, an increase of more than 20% over 2010. The illico service gives customers front-row seats to Québec and Hollywood blockbuster movies and popular events such as the Galas Vidéotron Juste pour rire. Videotron customers were also the first to be able to watch the original series carried by Lib tv, Canada's first mobile channel, which launched in 2011 with well-known actor Patrick Huard as program director. Featuring well over a dozen original series, including Traitement choc, Entre nous deux and Mr. Ramesh, Lib tv has been a hit with Videotron customers.
VOX, the exclusive channel for Videotron customers, made waves in 2011 with innovative content such as the new show OPEN Télé, where television meets the Web, Période libre and Autour de l'histoire, hosted by Jasmin Roy, Jean Barbe and Éric Bédard respectively.
Videotron remained the high definition (HD) leader by adding 27 new specialty channels. The Sport and Hispano packages were tweaked to provide an enhanced television experience. Changes to analog service in the Gatineau region made it possible to upgrade HD offerings for local residents.
State-of-the-art Internet
Videotron's faster, more reliable, more robust Internet access services were upgraded in 2011 to make life easier for customers. As always, Videotron led the pack with the speediest and most dependable Internet access on the market. The new Dual Carrier key let customers access Ultimate Speed Internet on their mobiles at lightning speeds of up to 42 Mbps wherever they might be - on the train, at school, at the office. Videotron also supported community development by bringing wireless Internet service to many regions of Québec where high-speed Internet had been previously unavailable.
In 2011, Videotron continued delivering a wealth of content, products and services that add up to the best available customer experience. Throughout the year, Videotron spent heavily on its network and infrastructure in order to be able to offer its customers products and services of the highest calibre. Since 2006, capital expenditures on plant and equipment alone have totalled over $2.5 billion, a figure that does not include investments in Videotron's mobile network. The massive investments have enabled Videotron to maintain its technological leadership and to continue delivering the quality, reliability and robustness that customers are entitled to expect.
Videotron (www.videotron.com), a wholly owned subsidiary of Quebecor Media Inc., is an integrated communications company engaged in cable television, interactive multimedia development, and Internet access, cable telephone and mobile telephone services. Videotron is a leader in new technologies with its interactive Digital TV service and its broadband network, which supports high-speed cable Internet access, analog and digital cable television, and other services. As of September 30, 2011, Videotron was serving 1,844,200 cable television customers, including 1,348,100 subscribers to its digital service. Videotron is also the Québec leader in high-speed Internet access, with 1,306,400 subscribers to its cable service as of September 30, 2011. As of the same date, Videotron had 258,100 subscriber connections to its mobile telephone service and was providing cable telephone service to 1,179,400 Québec households and organizations. For the sixth consecutive year, Videotron was named Québec's most respected telecommunications company by Les Affaires magazine, based on a Léger Marketing survey.
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*Léger Marketing and Consumer Satisfaction Metrics: Consumer Satisfaction Across Voice, Internet, TV and Wireless Service Providers (CA5CT11, August 2011), a survey conducted by International Data Corporation (IDC)
**Léger Marketing
–J.D. Powers
–*Gartner, http://www.gartner.com/it/page.jsp?id=1848514
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