High-speed Internet in outlying communities
Montréal, March 22, 2021 – Videotron is pleased to announce that it will participate in the High Speed Operation project to connect currently underserved households outside Québec’s urban centres. Videotron is proud to be part of this ambitious federal-provincial project and to continue playing a leading role in bringing state-of-the-art technology to rural communities.
The governments of Québec and Canada today announced details of their plan to connect the 150,000 homes still without high-speed Internet access in various regions of Québec. Videotron will connect 37,000 of these households by the end of 2022.
Ambitious target
The government targets are ambitious but Quebecers have proven time and again that they are capable of working together to carry out forward-looking projects. For this project, suppliers, contractors and equipment manufacturers will all have to cooperate to complete the connections by the deadline. The issues around access to poles raised by a number of industry players will have to be addressed if the governments are to achieve their objectives.
A full product line-up for the best customer experience
Videotron has been rated Québec’s most respected telecommunications company for the past 15 years in a row. Its wide array of products and services are customizable to meet the needs of all. The newly connected households will be able to subscribe to Helix, Videotron’s new home entertainment and connected lifestyle experience. Its voice remote capabilities, ultra-intelligent WiFi and support for home automation will make Helix a welcome addition in many rural Quebec households.
More Quebecers will also have access to the best customer experience, at the same price as in major urban centres. Not only do the households targeted by this project lack access to high-speed Internet, but they are often paying too much for inferior technology. This will end with Videotron’s arrival.
Quotes
“Videotron is ready to take up this challenge and our people are already gearing up to start working on the ground within the next few days. The number of households the governments have allocated to us is a testament to Videotron’s expertise and ability to carry out large-scale projects. We are very pleased that they are placing their trust in us. I know that all the stakeholders involved in this project share the same commitment and will put in place the measures needed to achieve the objectives.”
Jean-François Pruneau, President and CEO, Videotron
“We welcome the political will to bring high-speed Internet access to all currently underserved Quebecers through this program. High-speed Internet is more essential than ever to these individuals and businesses, and to the economic, social and cultural vitality of outlying communities. Videotron is proud to participate in this project, which will enable it to offer more Quebecers the best products. To achieve their goals and meet their timetable, the governments will have to keep up the pressure on Bell to provide access to its support structures.”
Pierre Karl Péladeau, President and CEO of Quebecor
In a nutshell
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The regions to be served by Videotron will be announced shortly.
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These new connections include the households that will be connected under the Régions branchées project.
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Videotron will begin work immediately and the project will be completed by October 2022.
If you live in a community that currently has poor service and you have questions, please call our info line at 1-833-905-2004
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About Videotron
Videotron, a wholly owned subsidiary of Quebecor Media Inc., is an integrated communications company engaged in television, entertainment, Internet access, wireline telephone and mobile telephone services. Videotron is a leader in new technologies with its Helix home entertainment and management platform. As of December 31, 2020, Videotron was serving 1,475,600 cable television customers and 469,000 subscribers to its Club illico video streaming service. Videotron is also the Québec leader in high-speed Internet access, with 1,796,800 subscribers as of December 31, 2020. As of the same date, Videotron had 1,481,100 subscriber connections to its mobile telephone service and was providing wireline telephone service to 924,700 Québec households and organizations. Videotron has been recognized as one of Montréal’s top employers.
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Media contact:
Merick Séguin
Public Relations Advisor, Corporate Affairs
