RIMOUSKI, QC – Iristel is buying digital mobile radio operator Télécommunications de l’Est (TDE) in a move designed to hasten its expansion plans in Quebec. Financial terms of the acquisition were not publicly disclosed.
Iristel president and CEO Samer Bishay said that TDE's infrastructure will be used to help expand the launch of the company’s wireless service, and that its NOMAD digital radio system technology will be used by Iristel-owned mobile network operator Ice Wireless in the Arctic.
“TDE owns a lot of valuable infrastructure in North East Quebec, much of it overlapping the serving area of I-Mobileca and its spectrum,” said Bishay, in Thursday’s news release. “By acquiring them, we can complete our Quebec build out faster and move one step closer to becoming a national wireless operator offering Canadians innovative services and real choice that has been stymied by Canada’s big three wireless oligopolists for too long.”
With a million square kilometres of coverage in Quebec and northern New Brunswick, TDE augmented its traditional analog VHF radio systems with a digital trunking network to provide additional services like GPS-tracking, telephone calls and push-to-talk over cellular. It caters to industries like forestry, mining, and shipping that operate in remote areas.
“We’ve established this company as a leader in the field of communication technology over recent decades and joining Iristel is the next evolution for TDE,” added TDE GM Daniel Gignac. “Like other SMR’s (Specialized Mobile Radio network operators), TDE is constantly faced with the challenge of providing its users with a reliable radio network that is also feature-rich and easy to operate. Working with an innovator like Iristel – one that will continue to invest in our network – makes us even stronger.”
All 55 TDE employees will be retained under the new ownership structure, adds the release.
