Montréal, December 22, 2006 Videotron is now testing a new technology that promises to substantially increase the speed of its Internet service across its network. The technology will enable Videotron to offer consumers throughout its service area speeds of up to 100 Mbps, five times faster than its current Extreme High-Speed Internet service. At that speed, it will take approximately 4 seconds to download a 50-Mb high-definition movie trailer and a fraction of a second to download a musical track. Videotron remains the only major telecommunications provider across its service area to offer customers the fastest Internet service, cementing its position as Québec's uncontested Internet leader.
As the trailblazer in Internet services in Québec, Videotron is always looking for innovative solutions that meet the growing needs of its customers when it comes to Internet access, transmission and download speeds, said Robert Dépatie, President and Chief Executive Officer of Videotron. We are committed to keeping our network the fastest and most advanced system on the Internet services market.
Some Videotron customers are already experiencing substantially faster speeds thanks to this new technology, which is supported by the robustness of Videotron's tried and true network. By the end of January, more than 150 of the advanced modems will have been installed at the premises of residential and business customers. Testing will continue over a three to four month period, into the spring. The new service could be launched in 2007.
It is very important for us to conduct this type of research not in a vacuum but in a real-life environment, so we can see how it works with our customers, said Mr. Dépatie. That is how we are able to deliver Internet service that keeps pace with our customers' fast-changing needs, year after year.
We had record growth in 2005 with 130,000 new Internet customers, Mr. Dépatie noted. As of September 30, 2006, we had a total of 769,000 subscribers to our Internet services. A recent Léger Marketing survey found a 95.5% satisfaction rate among these customers. The upcoming speed upgrade will help us maintain our excellent customer satisfaction rating.
Videotron Ltd. (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 services, residential telephone service and now wireless telephone service. Videotron is a leader in new technologies with its illico interactive television system and its broadband network, which supports high-speed cable Internet access, analog and digital cable television, and other services. As of September 30, 2006, Videotron was serving 1,553,000 cable television customers in Québec; including 585,000 illico subscribers. Videotron is also the Québec leader in high-speed Internet access, with 769,000 subscribers to its cable modem and dial-up services. In addition, Videotron provides residential and business telephone services to more than 344,000 customers in Québec and has been offering wireless telephone service since August 2006.
