By Denis Carmel
ROUYN-NORANDA, Que. – On December 15, EBOX an independent television, telephone and internet provider based in Longueuil, Québec, announced it has now connected clients in Rouyn-Noranda this week and has launched in western Abitibi, including La Sarre and Macamic, a well as Authier, Authier-Nord, Duparquet, Dupuy, Gallichan, Sainte-Hélène de Mancebourg, Normétal, Palmarolle, Poularies, Saint-Germaine-Boule and Taschereau.
The company says in these municipalities, it is the first to offer competition, as Videotron is not yet offering service, but plans to do so.
EBOX, the largest independent provider in Québec with 450 employees and serving 130,000 customers, is riding on the fibre/coax network Cablevision, a Bell subsidiary, offering broadband services up to 250 Mb, as well as digital TV and local telephony.
EBOX has already launched in the Val d’Or area, also in Abitibi.
Jean-Philippe Beïque, CEO of EBOX, said to Cartt.ca that better wholesale tariff structure and a territory that has not benefited of the benefits from competition, explains why companies are trying to penetrate the Abitibi region, that was not considered until now a strong business opportunity.
Cartt.ca has learned that Videotron is also building cell towers across the region, in view if offering wireless service in a near future.
All this activity has to be nothing but good news for the people in the rural region.
