MONTREAL – It appears as though Videotron is going to have a busy 2011. The company issued two announcements on Wednesday, promising upgrades to its new wireless network and to its illico TV service.
In addition to rolling out wireless service in the new markets of Saguenay and Gatineau this Spring, Videotron said that the network is evolving towards 4G as it conducts testing for the implementation of HSPA+ Dual Carrier technology. The company is also gearing up to offer its first HSPA+ smart phone, Internet key and tablet computer.
“Our 4G network is one of the most powerful and upgradable networks in Québec", said president and CEO Robert Dépatie, in a statement. “Moreover, the fact that more than 90% of our antennas are linked by fibre optics to our wired network gives our customers the full benefit of technological convergence. Examples include multi-screen pause and resume, remote programming of the customer’s personal video recorder (PVR), and voice mail to email.”
And, as Bell rolls out Fibe TV in Montreal – and as rumours swirl that a large marketing push for that is imminent – Videotron said that it will launch a new illico TV ecosystem this year offering an “advanced multi-screen experience” with user interfaces that “are fast, intuitive, effective and fun”. (see photo below)
“The evolution of illico will provide our customers with a new, customized television experience,” said Manon Brouillette, EVP of strategy and marketing. “illico TV will boast optimized navigation and a new look, while still carrying the largest selection of triple-screen content, French-language content and high-definition content, all in an open-ended environment. illico TV will continue to support pause-and-resume on three screens, an innovation introduced by Videotron in late 2010, in a new navigation environment that is perfectly harmonized with the other platforms, namely illico web and illico mobile.”
Managing recordings will be easier thanks to an automated sorting capability by program genre or type, and the video-on-demand menu will feature a more advanced search engine and simplified navigation, the announcement continued.
