By Ken Kelley
MONTREAL – Not that we expected otherwise, but there was no dodging the Rogers-Shaw elephant in the room when Cogeco president and CEO Philippe Jetté spoke during the Desjardins’ Group annual Industrials, TMT & Consumer virtual conference Tuesday.
In fact the session’s moderator, analyst Jerome Debreuil, ripped off the band-aid straight away, asking Jetté if he expected Cogeco would be interested in bidding on any wireless assets Rogers may be forced to divest as part of the tie-up.
“There’s a great deal of uncertainty as far as we’re concerned, as to whether the deal will be approved and…
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ESTÉREL and LAC-DES-SEIZE-ÎLES, Que. — The federal ministry of Innovation, Science and Industry announced today 774 households and 12 businesses in the Laurentides Region of Quebec now have access to high-speed Internet, made possible by a combined investment of more than $1.5 million from the government of Canada, the government of Quebec and Cogeco.
Government funding for the project was provided through the Connect to Innovate and Quebec branché programs, with the federal and provincial governments each investing $57,160 in this backbone network. Project partner Cogeco Connexion, which also invested in building a last-mile network, contributed more than $1.4 million.
With…
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TORONTO and GATINEAU — Kids channel broadcaster WildBrain Television (formerly known as DHX Television) is asking the CRTC to step into its ongoing dispute with Cogeco Connexion over the distribution of its Family Channel, Family Jr and CHRGD channels.
According to a Part 1 application filed January 19 by WildBrain, and posted to the CRTC website on January 28, WildBrain and Cogeco have been engaged in “protracted negotiations” regarding the carriage of the three kids-oriented channels by Cogeco. (WildBrain’s French-language Télémagino channel is not part of the dispute.)
WildBrain says it presented a proposal to Cogeco on April 27, 2020,…
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MONTREAL – Cogeco Inc. announced this week that its new emissions reduction targets have been approved by the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi).
The new targets are “consistent with levels required to meet the most ambitious goal of the Paris Agreement,” reads the release.
SBTi is a collaboration between CDP, the United Nations Global Compact, World Resources Institute and the World Wide Fund for Nature that defines and promotes best practice in science-based target setting and independently assesses companies’ targets, explains Cogeco’s announcement. “This makes Cogeco the first and only telecommunications company in Canada with SBTi-approved targets.”
Cogeco has committed to the…
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Advanced service joins all-in-one-video push
By Greg O’Brien
MONTREAL – This week, Cogeco Connexion became the latest company to tell consumers if they want all of their video in one place, epico is the best place to find it.
After an extended trial period with employees (1,200 of the company’s 2,000 Canadian employees have it in their homes) and a handful of customers (over 12,000 customers now have epico), the company took the wrapper off the newest, and for now the most advanced, pay-TV system in Canada. We’re calling it that because its Android TV operator tier operating system from MediaKind gives…
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MONTREAL — As we told you Friday, Cogeco Connexion is officially launching today its new IPTV service, Epico, which offers an entertainment experience combining the Internet and television.
Epico is based on the MediaKind platform which is integrated into Google’s Android TV ecosystem and on the advanced expertise of the Cogeco engineers who contributed to the development of the final Epico product, says Cogeco’s press release.
“We are excited to provide our customers with the latest technology in home entertainment, while using a progressive marketing approach for its introduction in the market. More than 1,200 employees were our…
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MONTREAL – During its conference call with financial analysts on Friday morning to discuss its first quarter results, Cogeco president and CEO Philip Jetté announced the company will being marketing its new video/broadband service, Epico, next week.
While the company has been testing the product with employees and has been targeting some customers for upgrades, customers will begin to see the marketing push very soon.
Epico will be available to “85% of our Canadian footprint,” said Jetté. Cogeco’s primary markets are the Oakville to Niagara Falls corridor in Ontario, as well as the Windsor region, and portions of southern Quebec, centred…
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MONTREAL – On Thursday evening, Cogeco Inc. reported revenue increased by 4.5% in its 2021 fiscal first quarter, ended November 30, 2020, to reach $646.4 million.
Canadian broadband services revenue increased by 2.2% “as a result of the cumulative effect of sustained demand for residential high speed Internet since the beginning of the pandemic due to customers spending more time at home for work, online education and entertainment purposes, and rate increases implemented for certain services, partly offset by a decline in video service customers,” said the press release.
At its U.S. Atlantic Broadband division, “services revenue increased by 9.8% in…
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MONTREAL — Cogeco Connexion announced today John Hargrave has been appointed as its new vice-president of products, effective today.
“He will be an undeniable asset to our growth strategy, especially in terms of product innovation,” said Frédéric Perron, president of Cogeco Connexion, in a press release. “With his experience, leadership and ability to take action quickly, I am convinced that John will rapidly master our business objectives and support Cogeco Connexion’s vision. I am very pleased to welcome him to our executive team.”
Hargrave (above) has nearly 20 years of experience in developing IT products and software and in professional…
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MONTREAL – Cogeco and its employees once again have made a generous donation to the United Way in Ontario and Centraide in Québec, giving more than $475,000 to the charitable organization.
The United Way/Centraide fundraising campaign aims to raise and give back funds locally, with a view to breaking the cycle of poverty and isolation.
“The participation of Cogeco and its employees in Canada in the United Way/Centraide campaign is of particular importance this year, because the needs are being compounded by the pandemic,” said Philippe Jetté, company president and CEO. “I am moved by the responsiveness of our employees to…
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