Montréal, Wednesday, February 6, 2008 – Videotron has announced the launch of two new Internet access services that will further expand the limits of the Internet with some of the fastest download speeds in North America. Ultimate Speed Internet 30 and Ultimate Speed Internet 50 will deliver speeds of 30 mbps and 50 mbps respectively. The new services are tailored to the needs of modern connected families sharing one Internet link.
With the two new Ultimate Speed Internet services, Videotron becomes the first cable company in North America to offer such speeds on a cabled network. The roll-out of these services will begin in Laval, where they will be available to 112,000 homes.
Unsurpassed download speeds
To give an idea of the power of the new products, Ultimate Speed Internet 30 will make it possible to download a music track in two seconds and a movie of almost 2 GB in about eight minutes. With Ultimate Speed Internet 50, it will take ten seconds to download a full CD containing 10 tracks and five minutes for a movie of almost 2 GB.
The solution for connected families and households
Ultimate Speed Internet 30 and Ultimate Speed Internet 50 are ideal for households where several people use the Internet simultaneously for different purposes. For example, a four-member family where Dad is downloading a movie, Mom is shopping online, Junior is importing a video clip from the web and Sis is playing online video games can share a single Internet connection and everyone will experience the full potential their activity demands.
As a provider of high-tech services, we strive to deliver the higher speeds and transfer limits that consumers, families and organizations need, said Manon Brouillette, Senior Vice President, Marketing, Content and Product Development, at Videotron. The new modem, developed in collaboration with Cisco, combined with our robust and reliable network, now make it possible for us to offer the full entertainment experience that connected families are looking for.
Affordable pricing
The pricing plans for Ultimate Speed Internet 30 and Ultimate Speed Internet 50 make them an affordable way to meet the Internet needs of the whole family. Ultimate Speed Internet 30 will cost $64.95 per month, and Ultimate Speed Internet 50, $79.95 per month. The two services have total file transfer limits (uploads and downloads combined) of 30 GB and 50 GB per month respectively.
Gradual roll-out
After Laval, Ultimate Speed Internet 30 and Ultimate Speed Internet 50 will gradually be rolled out across the rest of Videotron's service area. Dates for other regions of Québec will be announced in the future.
Also as a business Solution
Videotron Business Solutions is also launching Ultimate Speed Internet 30 and Ultimate Speed Internet 50 in Laval today in order to satisfy the growing requirements of businesses. All details concerning pricing and technical specs are available at videotron.com/business.
Meeting a range of hi-tech needs
Ultimate Speed Internet 30 and Ultimate Speed Internet 50 are being added to Videotron's four existing Internet access services: Basic Internet, High-Speed Internet, Extreme High-Speed Internet and Extreme Plus High-Speed Internet.
Today more than ever, being a Videotron customer means having access to state-of-the-art technology and being able to satisfy all technological and entertainment needs for all budgets, said Manon Brouillette.
Videotron began beta testing Wideband technology in 2007 as part of a partnership with international leader Cisco®. In the tests with real-life users, speeds of up to 100 mbps were reached. The partnership with Cisco and the development of high-tech products such as Ultimate Speed Internet 30 and Ultimate Speed Internet 50 will enable Videotron to maintain not only its market leadership but also to stay at the forefront of technological innovation and remain responsive to consumer demand, now and in the future.
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 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 December 31, 2007, Videotron was serving 1,638,000 cable television customers in Québec, including 768,000 illico subscribers. Videotron is the Québec leader in high-speed Internet access, with 933,000 subscribers to its cable modem service. As of December 31, 2007, Videotron had activated 45,700 phones on its wireless telephone service and was providing cable telephone service to nearly 636,000 Québec households and organizations.
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