Business News

Quebecor Media Makes Good on Its Promise, Ushers in Era of Change in Advanced Mobile Services

Friday 10. September 2010 - Better prices, more competition

Quebecor Media is keeping the promise it made to Quebecers and Canadians in 2006 and inaugurating a new era in mobile communications today with Videotron’s announcement of the commercial launch of its new, state-of-the-art, HSPA+ (3G+) mobile communication services.
A promise kept: better prices, more competition
“For years, Quebecers and all Canadians have been paying for the dearth of competition in mobile communication services, being saddled with exorbitant rates for limited service on creaky platforms,” said Pierre Karl Péladeau, President and CEO of Quebecor Media. “We therefore pledged to bring Quebecers better technology at a lower price in order to make the marketplace more competitive and make mobile services more accessible to consumers. With Videotron’s new services and price plans, that day has definitely arrived.”
Everybody wins
The startup of the new 3G+ network, a milestone in the history of Quebecor Media and its Videotron subsidiary, will have multiple positive impacts for Québec.
The advent of expanded, modernized services at lower prices will not only benefit consumers but will also create numerous technological, economic and cultural opportunities for Québec businesses, organizations and individuals, equipping them with new work tools, new channels for exchanging information and new platforms for disseminating and promoting Québec content.
The process of designing and building out a new cutting-edge network has also spurred the development of Québec expertise and know-how in advanced mobile communication services. And the $1 billion+ investment in the project has yielded significant benefits in terms of job creation and economic spin-offs over the past two years.
A key strategic asset
Pierre Karl Péladeau also noted that the new network would be the cornerstone of the business model and corporate strategy of Quebecor Media and its subsidiaries in the years ahead.
“New technologies have practically eliminated the physical barriers between media,” said Mr. Péladeau. “People can now literally carry the world on their shoulders or in their pockets, in the form of a computer or cell phone. Quebecor Media and Videotron are in the thick of the new technological and media industry trends and our new advanced network will occupy a key strategic position in the new economic, cultural and media ecosystem. In this fast-changing environment, our goal is to develop a business model that harnesses all our creative resources to give Quebecers access to the technologies, services and information that are the driving forces in today’s world.”