Sherbrooke, September 19, 2006 - Continuing the roll-out of its wireless telephone service region by region, Québec telecom provider Videotron is introducing its new service for residential and business customers in Sherbrooke and surroundings as of today. The move makes Videotron"s wireless product available in a third region of the province, after Québec City and Gatineau, and strengthens its position as a one-stop shop. The strategy is to develop a full, attractive array of telecommunications and entertainment services. Its entry into the wireless market is another step towards consolidating its leadership when it comes to customer experience. Videotron"s target is to extend its wireless telephone service to all parts of Québec by the end of 2006.
For consumers, Videotron"s arrival in the wireless market will have the added benefit of stimulating competition by providing a new alternative. Videotron is offering a distinctive product in the Canadian marketplace, which currently has one of the lowest wireless penetration rates in the industrialized world*. The Company is therefore confident of positive market response. The Sherbrooke region has a pool of more than 300,000 potential customers, more than 175,000 of whom already subscribe to Videotron services.
"More and more people are realizing the many advantages of being a Videotron customer," said Manon Brouillette, Vice President, Marketing and Product Development, Consumer Division. "The introduction of wireless telephone service in Sherbrooke further enhances those advantages. Customers will no longer have to adjust their lifestyles to fit their wireless plan. They will be able to use their cell phones at any time of day or night, without having to worry about the time of day. That is what simplicity and user-friendliness are all about at Videotron".
Attractive pricing: 3 products for less than $80 per month
The distinctive features of Videotron"s wireless service include simplicity, user-friendly packages and the advantages of bundling. The 3-product package priced at $79.95 (all fees included), which comprises wireless service with 300 any-time minutes (day, evening and weekends), Basic Internet service and illico Digital TV, makes the Videotron experience readily available to all.
Better performance for business customers
Business customers will also find it highly advantageous to take Videotron"s wireless service and bundle all their telecom services from a single provider. For $99.95 per month (all fees included), business people will get 300 any-time minutes (day, evening and weekends), Basic Internet service (recently boosted to 1.5 mbps) and illico Digital TV.
Videotron is applying the same flexible, customizable approach to wireless packages as it does to its other products. Customers will be able to add extra blocks of time in order to build a package tailored to their needs.
Making life simpler
Individual and time-sharing plans are available to both consumers and businesses customers. Individual packages include 50, 300, 500 or 700 minutes of airtime. The time-sharing plan lets customers split 900 minutes among up to five people of their choice (e.g. relatives, friends, employees).
"By combining wireless telephone service with Videotron"s other offerings, consumers can enjoy quality products and advantageous discounts on their bills," said Manon Brouillette. "And they can simplify their lives through one-stop shopping at Videotron: we are the only industry player that offers Sherbrooke customers a one-customer-service-point, with one visit from the technician, and one bill for all their services."
Canada lags behind in wireless
According to a recent study, Canada lags well behind the U.S. in wireless telephony. The gap has widened from about a year and a half in 2003 to two and a half years today**. Limited competition due to the small number of players in the market, higher prices and technological lag all help explain why Canada"s wireless industry is trailing major world markets.
"Québec is behind the U.S. market and even the Canadian market," concludes Manon Brouillette. "This means there is strong growth potential for a company with a sound, attractive value proposition. By offering affordable new services such as cable telephone and wireless, Videotron has become a driver of change in the marketplace and is spurring trends that benefit consumers across the country."
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, cable telephony and wireless. 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 June 30, 2006, Videotron was serving 1,521,000 cable television customers in Québec; including 545,000 illico subscribers. Videotron is also the Québec leader in high-speed Internet access, with 726,000 subscribers to its cable modem and dial-up services. In addition, Videotron provides residential and commercial telephone service to more than 283,000 customers in Québec. Since August 2006, Videotron also offers wireless phone service.
SOURCES
* Seaboard Group, "Lessons For Canada -- Wireless Pricing: A Cross-National Survey," July 2005.
** Merrill Lynch, "Global Wireless Matrix," June 2006.
The other documents in the press kit (technical specifications, rates, product descriptions and photos) can be downloaded from ftp://ftp.vsi.videotron.com (user name: ftp_comm -- password: comm1234).
For consumers, Videotron"s arrival in the wireless market will have the added benefit of stimulating competition by providing a new alternative. Videotron is offering a distinctive product in the Canadian marketplace, which currently has one of the lowest wireless penetration rates in the industrialized world*. The Company is therefore confident of positive market response. The Sherbrooke region has a pool of more than 300,000 potential customers, more than 175,000 of whom already subscribe to Videotron services.
"More and more people are realizing the many advantages of being a Videotron customer," said Manon Brouillette, Vice President, Marketing and Product Development, Consumer Division. "The introduction of wireless telephone service in Sherbrooke further enhances those advantages. Customers will no longer have to adjust their lifestyles to fit their wireless plan. They will be able to use their cell phones at any time of day or night, without having to worry about the time of day. That is what simplicity and user-friendliness are all about at Videotron".
Attractive pricing: 3 products for less than $80 per month
The distinctive features of Videotron"s wireless service include simplicity, user-friendly packages and the advantages of bundling. The 3-product package priced at $79.95 (all fees included), which comprises wireless service with 300 any-time minutes (day, evening and weekends), Basic Internet service and illico Digital TV, makes the Videotron experience readily available to all.
Better performance for business customers
Business customers will also find it highly advantageous to take Videotron"s wireless service and bundle all their telecom services from a single provider. For $99.95 per month (all fees included), business people will get 300 any-time minutes (day, evening and weekends), Basic Internet service (recently boosted to 1.5 mbps) and illico Digital TV.
Videotron is applying the same flexible, customizable approach to wireless packages as it does to its other products. Customers will be able to add extra blocks of time in order to build a package tailored to their needs.
Making life simpler
Individual and time-sharing plans are available to both consumers and businesses customers. Individual packages include 50, 300, 500 or 700 minutes of airtime. The time-sharing plan lets customers split 900 minutes among up to five people of their choice (e.g. relatives, friends, employees).
"By combining wireless telephone service with Videotron"s other offerings, consumers can enjoy quality products and advantageous discounts on their bills," said Manon Brouillette. "And they can simplify their lives through one-stop shopping at Videotron: we are the only industry player that offers Sherbrooke customers a one-customer-service-point, with one visit from the technician, and one bill for all their services."
Canada lags behind in wireless
According to a recent study, Canada lags well behind the U.S. in wireless telephony. The gap has widened from about a year and a half in 2003 to two and a half years today**. Limited competition due to the small number of players in the market, higher prices and technological lag all help explain why Canada"s wireless industry is trailing major world markets.
"Québec is behind the U.S. market and even the Canadian market," concludes Manon Brouillette. "This means there is strong growth potential for a company with a sound, attractive value proposition. By offering affordable new services such as cable telephone and wireless, Videotron has become a driver of change in the marketplace and is spurring trends that benefit consumers across the country."
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, cable telephony and wireless. 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 June 30, 2006, Videotron was serving 1,521,000 cable television customers in Québec; including 545,000 illico subscribers. Videotron is also the Québec leader in high-speed Internet access, with 726,000 subscribers to its cable modem and dial-up services. In addition, Videotron provides residential and commercial telephone service to more than 283,000 customers in Québec. Since August 2006, Videotron also offers wireless phone service.
SOURCES
* Seaboard Group, "Lessons For Canada -- Wireless Pricing: A Cross-National Survey," July 2005.
** Merrill Lynch, "Global Wireless Matrix," June 2006.
The other documents in the press kit (technical specifications, rates, product descriptions and photos) can be downloaded from ftp://ftp.vsi.videotron.com (user name: ftp_comm -- password: comm1234).
