Montréal, October 29, 2018 - At a speech delivered at the Canadian Club of Montréal, Videotron President and CEO Manon Brouillette shared her vision of the business world and the manifold challenges facing companies in the digital age. She also took the opportunity to share some major developments that will help keep Videotron at the forefront of telecom going forward.
Ms. Brouillette's began her upbeat talk with a look back over the last decade, stressing the momentous changes of the period. Rapidly advancing technologies, the accelerating pace of innovation and globalized markets are just a few of the challenges facing Québec companies today. Meanwhile, consumers have also changed and have very different expectations than they did in the past.
Products for today's consumers
An entirely new brand, Fizz, has been developed to win the hearts of Generation Z and millennials, who have decidedly different needs and behaviours. Launched a few weeks ago, Fizz is much more than a new mobile carrier and Internet service provider: it's a community that provides a completely new, 100% digital experience focused on simplicity, independence and sharing.
"With this offering, Videotron is entering new markets and interacting with consumers in a totally novel way, said Manon Brouillette. Even the decision to launch Fizz in beta reflects a new digital, participatory ethos that puts users at the centre of product development.
Ms. Brouillette also unveiled Helix, an ambitious new tech platform that will be rolled out in the coming months. With Helix, Videotron is releasing a world-class product that will soon be woven into the fabric of Quebecers' new, connected lives.
Helix is revolutionary. It is a fast-changing, adaptive ecosystem that is ready to compete with the international tech giants while staying true to our DNA and being relevant to the lives of increasingly connected households across Québec, Ms. Brouillette explained.
This new digital ecosystem, whose various components will be unveiled soon, is built around the voice-controlled assistant technology that is transforming home connectivity. Helix will deliver smarter and more powerful Wi-Fi, an enhanced TV experience thanks to IP technology and seamless integration of Web content platforms, and home automation services, realizing the dream of a streamlined, human-scale connected home.
"I am confident that Fizz and Helix will put Videotron ahead of the curve, Ms. Brouillette said. And as always, Québec consumers will be the first to benefit.
Level playing field
Before wrapping up, Manon Brouillette stressed that if local businesses are to succeed, government must understand that today's market environment is globalized and more digital than ever.
Noting the particular regulatory landscape in which telecom players including Videotron must operate, she discussed changes that could be made to the rules of the game to promote fair, healthy competition and help keep our culture vibrant, pointing to Netflix's exemption from charging sales tax, the archaic cable television royalty system, and the proliferation of Internet resellers, which are complicating the already competitive telecom industry.
Ms. Brouillette ended on an up note, telling the business audience that she believes it is possible for local businesses to survive and thrive as long as they constantly innovate and reinvent themselves.
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About Videotron
Videotron (www.videotron.com), a wholly owned subsidiary of Quebecor Media Inc., is an integrated communications company engaged in cable television, interactive multimedia development, Internet access, cable telephone and mobile telephone services. Videotron is a leader in new technologies with its illico interactive television service and its broadband network, which supports high-speed cable Internet access, digital cable television, and other services. As of June 30, 2018, Videotron was serving 1,606,000 cable television customers. The Club illico over-the-top video service had 396,300 members. Videotron is also the Québec leader in high-speed Internet access, with 1,683,100 subscribers to its cable service as of June 30, 2018. As of the same date, Videotron had 1,092,000 subscriber connections to its mobile telephone service and was providing cable telephone service to 1,142,500 Québec households and organizations. For the thirteenth consecutive year, Videotron ranked as Québec's most respected telecommunications company in the annual Léger survey.
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