Canadian cable operator Videotron has commercially launched its HSPA+ network, which supports peak downlink data transfer rates of up to 21 Mbps. The HSPA+ coverage is available across Québec, with the service available to customers in the greater Montréal and Québec City areas, and in some municipalities in between. Customers in the Sherbrooke, Mauricie, Saint-Hyacinthe and Beloeil areas will be able to sign up for service in October 2010, while the network will be expanded to Mont-Tremblant, Drummondville and Victoriaville by the end of 2010. Videotron will eventually upgrade the network to Dual-Carrier HSPA+ technology, which provides peak downlink speeds of up to 42 Mbps.

• Unlimited free local and long-distance calling between millions of Videotron customers across Québec
• The broadest urban zones covering the largest number of municipalities
• illico mobile featuring the widest selection of local content and stunning video quality
• 4 handsets in Canada for the first time, including the first Garmin phone in Canada and the Nexus One
• First in Canada to offer Android 2.2
• Best Blackberry plan for small business
• No-commitment plans with Videotron’s unique 30-day money-back guarantee

Videotron is pleased to announce the eagerly awaited launch of its state-of-the-art HSPA+ mobile communication network. Videotron’s 3G+ service will afford Québec consumers and business access to the latest technology at last and provide superior value for the money.

“We asked our customers about their needs when it comes to mobile service,” said Robert Dépatie, President and CEO of Videotron. “We listened to them and we got the message. Today, we are coming out with new, easy-to-understand plans that deliver more and suit every need.

“Videotron’s 3G+ service reflects the goal we have pursued throughout this project: providing the best possible customer experience through one-stop shopping to make life easier for consumers. Not only is our offering highly advantageous in this respect but it is particularly attractive for our existing customers, who can get exceptional rates. We remain true to our policy of offering substantial discounts to customers who choose our service bundles.”

SERVICE OFFERINGS

Infinity at the best price!
As of today, Videotron is offering simple, economical mobile communication services with a full range of residential and Business plans. For example, the Infinite Québec plan includes unlimited local and long-distance calling anywhere in Québec regardless of the other party’s telephone carrier, starting at $49.95 per month. For only $6.00 more, customers can add unlimited emails and messaging anywhere in Québec.

All plans include free unlimited local and long-distance calls between residential and business customers with mobile or cable telephone services from Videotron.

The largest urban zones
The Infinite urban zone plans, another innovative component of Videotron’s new mobile service, offer unlimited calls within the zone. Videotron’s urban zones are by far the largest of any service provider.

For example, the Montréal zone extends from Rigaud in the west to L’Assomption in the east, and from Saint-Sauveur in the Laurentians in the north to Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu in the south, an area of approximately 3,200 km². The Québec City urban zone covers the area between Portneuf to the west, Montmagny to the east, Stoneham to the north and Laurier-Station to the south, covering approximately 5,700 km².

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 will be able to send up to 500 messages (counting SMS, MMS and emails) for just $5.00, 2,500 messages for $10.00 and unlimited messages for $15.00. Customers will also be able to add extras such as voice mail to their plans for $4 per month for the first option and $2 for each additional option.
The fastest high-speed mobile Internet network

Videotron’s mobile Internet key will support data transfer speeds of up to 21 mbps over Videotron’s 3G+ network, the fastest network around according to our current analyses. The network will eventually rev up to lightning-fast mobile speeds of up to 42 mbps, thanks to Dual-Carrier HSPA+ technology.

Something for everyone: 12 handsets, including 4 firsts
Videotron has also lined up a selection of best-in-class handsets to meet every need. All will support access to illico mobile and remote programming of the customer’s personal video recorder. Customers will be able to choose among the most advanced mobile handsets on the market, including the Google Nexus One (HTC), which is being offered by an operator for the first time in Canada, making Videotron the first Canadian service provider to carry a handset loaded with the Android 2.2 Froyo operating system; the Nuvifone A5, the first Garmin phone in Canada, with free traffic info and alerts included for three years; the Motorola XT720 and the entry-level Huawei U3200.

Videotron is also the only industry player to offer a 30-day full satisfaction or money back guarantee. Customers are not required to make any commitment.

Largest selection of French-language and local content
Customers will enjoy one of the richest selections of mobile content in Canada, particularly for French-language and Québec content. After launching illico web in June 2010, Videotron is now launching illico mobile, giving customers access to 1,000 hours of free content, a catalogue of nearly 2,000 television programs and series, 27 television channels, 9 of them live, and 45 Galaxie music channels. “Our new mobile service will quickly become a major platform for the dissemination and promotion of Québec culture,” said Pierre Karl Péladeau, President and CEO of Quebecor Media. Videotron’s mobile shop will carry nearly 30,000 items (music, ringtones, wallpapers, games, etc.).

NETWORK COVERAGE
Videotron’s new mobile network is now up and running across Québec. Service plans are available to customers in the greater Montréal and Québec City areas, and in some municipalities in between, as of today.
Customers in the Sherbrooke, Mauricie, Saint-Hyacinthe and Beloeil areas will be able to sign up for service in October 2010. Service will be rolled out to Mont-Tremblant, Drummondville and Victoriaville by year’s end, making it available to the bulk of Québec’s population.

“We want to offer our service to as many Quebecers as possible and we expect to be able to serve almost our entire potential customer base by 2011, including the Saguenay / Lac St-Jean region at the beginning of the year and Gatineau / Ottawa in the spring,” said Robert Dépatie. “I urge people to find out about our service plans before renewing their agreement with their current carrier. They won’t regret it!”

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 caps 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 result, the creation of a new 3G+ infrastructure 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.”

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, and Internet access, cable telephone and wireless 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 June 30, 2010, Videotron was serving 1,781,500 cable television customers, including 1,142,000 subscribers to its digital service. Videotron is also the Québec leader in high-speed Internet access, with 1,201,700 subscribers to its cable modem service as of June 30, 2010. As of the same date, Videotron had activated 87,000 handsets on its wireless telephone service and was providing cable telephone service to 1,065,300 Québec households and organizations. For the fifth consecutive year, Videotron was named Québec’s most respected telecommunications