Gatineau, May 26, 2011 – Videotron is pleased to announce the introduction of its mobile services in the Outaouais region. Videotron's mobile offerings will bring Outaouais consumers and businesses the latest mobile technology on one of the most robust networks anywhere, delivering the best value for their money.
We are excited about launching our advanced mobile service in Outaouais, where residents have always been very loyal to Videotron, said Robert Dépatie, President and CEO of Videotron. Our existing customers in the region will continue seeing the benefits of one-stop shopping, which will now include four-service bundles, while new customers on both the Québec and Ontario sides of the river who did not previously have access to our services will be able to enjoy the Videotron experience by taking advantage of two of our products: mobile telephone and mobile Internet service.
KEY BENEFITS
New Gatineau-Ottawa Infinite Zone covering more than 3,000 km2
Unlimited free local and long-distance calling between millions of Videotron telephone customers across Québec and on Videotron's Ontario mobile network
High-speed mobile Internet at speeds of up to 21 mbps
A diverse selection of devices, including Videotron's first 4G handset
illico mobile* featuring the widest selection of local content and stunning video quality
PLANS
Infinity at the best price!
Videotron is offering simple, economical mobile communication services with a full range of residential and Business plans. For example, the Infinite Evenings and Weekends plan also includes unlimited email, text, photo and video messages for $24.95 per month, regardless of the number of Videotron services the customer has .
Gatineau-Ottawa Infinite Zone
The Infinite urban zone plans, another innovative component of Videotron's new mobile service, offer unlimited within-zone calling. The Gatineau-Ottawa zone extends from Montebello in the east to Kanata in the west, and from Wakefield in the north to Ottawa in the south, an area of more than 3,000 km2.
Free local and long-distance calling
All plans include free unlimited local and long-distance calling between residential and business customers with mobile or cable telephone services from Videotron. In all, customers can make free calls to more than 2.5 million Quebecers belonging to the Videotron community.
Videotron's mobile service reflects the goal we have pursued throughout this project: providing the best available mobile technology and the best possible customer experience, said Robert Dépatie. Not only is our offering highly advantageous but it is particularly attractive to our existing customers, who get exceptional rates. We remain true to our policy of giving more to customers who choose our service bundles.
Attractive options
Videotron is also offering the industry's most advantageous call management and messaging options, an important consideration for mobile phone users, who typically add options to their plans. For example, customers can send up to 500 messages (including SMS, MMS and emails) using Videotron's email app for just $5.00, 2,500 messages for $10.00 and unlimited messages for $15.00. Voicemail, call display and voicemail-to-email can be added for $4 per month for one option, $2 for the second option, or all three for $7.
We asked our customers about their needs when it comes to mobile service, said Robert Dépatie. We listened to them and we got the message. We are offering easy-to-understand plans that deliver more and suit every need.
One of the fastest available mobile Internet access services
Videotron's mobile Internet key supports data transfer speeds of up to 21 mbps over Videotron's advanced mobile network. It is a flexible solution for people on the go who need to stay connected.
DEVICES
17 handsets: something for everyone
Videotron has also lined up a selection of best-in-class handsets to meet every need. All support access to illico mobile and remote programming of the personal video recorders of Videotron illico customers. Customers can choose among the most advanced mobile handsets on the market, including the Google Nexus S, the Nuvifone A5 (the first Garmin phone in Canada), the Motorola XT720 and Blackberry handsets and tablets.
First 4G handset
As it expands to the Outaouais region, Videotron is also announcing the addition of the HTC PanacheTM, its first 4G mobile phone, to its selection of handsets. It features the AndroidTM 2.3 operating system, HTC SenseTM, a 3.8 touchscreen and a 5 MP camera. Equipped with a 1 GHz processor, the cutting-edge HTC PanacheTM delivers snappy performance.
CONTENT
Largest selection of French-language and Québec content
Residential customers will enjoy one of the richest selections of mobile content in Canada, including a vast array of French-language and Québec content. Videotron's illico mobile service gives customers access to thousands of free and paid television titles (programs and series), 35 television channels, including 23 live channels, and 45 Galaxie music channels.
Our new mobile service is quickly becoming a major platform for the dissemination and promotion of Québec culture, said Pierre Karl Péladeau, President and CEO of Quebecor Media. For example, our mobile store carries some 30,000 titles.
Massive project
Finally, Robert Dépatie noted that designing and building out a new mobile communication network of this scale within such a tight time-frame was no mean feat. Today's announcement is a result of a $1 billion investment that has created over 1,000 jobs. I thank our people for all the effort they have devoted to this project. The creation of a state-of-the-art mobile network in two years attests to the expertise we have developed in multiplatform integration and the depth of our 40 years of experience in communications technology.
Full details are available at www.videotron.com
* Available to residential customers only
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 December 31, 2010, Videotron was serving 1,811,600 cable television customers, including 1,219,600 subscribers to its digital service. Videotron is also the Québec leader in high-speed Internet access, with 1,254,400 subscribers to its cable and mobile services as of December 31, 2010. As of the same date, Videotron had 136,100 subscriber connections to its mobile telephone service and was providing cable telephone service to 1,114,300 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.
Follow us on the Web | facebook.com/videotron
Follow us on Twitter | twitter.com/videotron
- 30 -
