MONTREAL – Quebecor Media CEO Pierre Karl Peladeau said Wednesday evening in a quickly arranged press conference that his company will definitely participate in the advanced wireless spectrum auction and will spend $500 million to build a broadband wireless network in Quebec – and will consider taking it national, too.
"This policy in favour of greater competition will translate into better technology, more services and lower prices for Canadian consumers," said Peladeau. "As a content company, Quebecor Media (which owns broadcasters TVA and SunTV, the Sun Media group of newspapers, Canoe.ca and a number of other media outlets) is engaged in all aspects of content creation and delivery, and this decision will have a very positive impact on the production and distribution of Canadian content."
Peladeau says he expects the wireless network will be fully operational within 18 months of the spectrum auction. While Videotron already offers wireless in Quebec, that service is a reseller option that rides and depends solely on the Rogers Wireless network.
"Our telecom subsdiary, Vidéotron, is committing to the creation of a regional network in Quebec and, in light of the policy to encourage new competitors with national scope, we are considering all the options," added Peladeau.
"We know that the Internet and mobile connections are the future,” added Peladeau. “Quebecor Media is already the biggest content provider for different platforms of distribution and we will be working with creative Canadian organizations and individuals to develop content that can be world class."
