Quebecor acquires 18 operating licences in four provinces at an advantageous price in Industry Canada’s 2500 MHz spectrum auction

May 12, 2015

Quebecor is pleased to announce that it was the successful bidder on eighteen 20 MHz licences in Industry Canada’s 2500 MHz spectrum auction. Quebecor has obtained one licence in each of the following regions: Montréal, Québec, Ottawa/Outaouais Toronto, Vancouver, Calgary, Edmonton, Trois-Rivières, Bas-du-Fleuve/Gaspésie and Pembroke, and two licences in the following regions: Chicoutimi-Jonquière, Eastern Townships, Upper Outaouaisand Abitibi.

The operating licences, acquired for $187 million, cover all of the province of Québec and the largest urban centres in the other provinces of Canada: Toronto, Ottawa, Calgary, Edmonton and Vancouver. They make it possible to reach more than 21 million people, or approximately 65% of Canada’s population.

Today’s licence acquisitions continue our strategy of buying spectrum at advantageous prices, mainly to support Videotron’s operations in Québec.

Pierre Dion President and CEO of Quebecor

Videotron is pleased to have acquired this spectrum in Quebec, which is positioned very favourably. These newly acquired licences are a strategic asset that will help us continue our fast growth in the Québec mobile market.

Manon Brouillette President and CEO of Videotron

For the spectrum we have acquired in English Canada, we are still analyzing various options that hold out prospects of very attractive returns, given the value of this strategic asset. We will continue patiently and carefully analyzing our options, it being understood that the financial and/or operating conditions will have to fall within acceptable parameters, added Pierre Dion.

The 2500 MHz band has technical characteristics similar to the AWS-1 and AWS-3 spectrum that Quebecor acquired in 2008 and March 2015. LTE technology is able to rely on a global ecosystem operating in the 2500 MHz spectrum band. This technology allows latest-generation and next-generation mobile devices such as smartphones and tablets to operate at optimal speed and reliability.

The 2500 MHz operating licences will complement Quebecor’s large spectrum portfolio in Québec and significantly enhance its existing spectrum portfolio in the other provinces of Canada. Quebecor now holds spectrum in the AWS-1, 700 MHz, AWS-3 and 2500 MHz bands.

About Quebecor

Quebecor, a Canadian leader in telecommunications, entertainment, news media and culture, is one of the best-performing integrated communications companies in the industry. Driven by their determination to deliver the best possible customer experience, all of Quebecor’s subsidiaries and brands are differentiated by their high-quality, multiplatform, convergent products and services.

Quebecor (TSX: QBR.A, QBR.B) is headquartered in Québec. It holds a 75.36% interest in Quebecor Media, which employs close to 12,000 people in Canada.

A family business founded in 1950, Quebecor is strongly committed to the community. Every year, it actively supports people working with more than 400 organizations in the vital fields of culture, health, education, the environment and entrepreneurship.

About Videotron

Videotron (www.videotron.com), a wholly owned subsidiary of Quebecor Media Inc., is an integrated communications company engaged in cable television, interactive multimedia development, Internet access, cable telephone and mobile telephone services. Videotron is a leader in new technologies with its illico interactive television service and its broadband network, which supports high-speed cable Internet access, analog and digital cable television, and other services. As of March 31, 2015, Videotron was serving 1,770,600 cable television customers, including 1,555,500 Digital TV subscribers. Videotron is also the Québec leader in high-speed Internet access, with 1,543,100 subscribers to its cable service as of March 31, 2015. As of the same date, Videotron had 662,100 subscriber connections to its mobile telephone service and was providing cable telephone service to 1,344,600 Québec households and organizations. For the tenth consecutive year, Videotron was ranked as Québec’s most respected telecommunications company, based on a Léger survey.

Quick links

Quebecor acquires 18 operating licences in four provinces at an advantageous price in Industry Canada’s 2500 MHz spectrum auction

On the same topic