Canada: It's Time to Break the Stranglehold on Wireless

The president and CEO of Quebecor Inc., Pierre Karl Peladeau, today said the big three wireless companies will do everything in their power to deny Canadians better prices and better services in wireless. He called on the Government of Canada to open up the wireless market and move quickly to announce the rules and the date for the upcoming spectrum auction."The big three wireless players in Canada have a stranglehold on the market. They continue to deny Canadians lower prices and more innovation," said Mr. Peladeau in a speech to the Empire Club of Toronto. "Just like the monopoly on the old telephone. It is inevitable and in the best interests of consumers that we open up the wireless market, and allow for new choices, new competition, and lower prices."

Mr. Peladeau said Quebecor would make a major investment to create a Third Generation mobile service, assuming Industry Canada creates a level playing field for competition against the established players -- whose dominance has resulted in Canadians paying higher service plans lagging behind other nations in technology.

Peladeau stated that Canada lags behind the rest of the world in terms of cost, entry level service plans, and the deployment of third generation or 3G wireless technologies and urged the government to quickly announce the rules and the date for the auction.

"Canada once lead the world in telecommunications services and with the right competitive environment we can do so again," said Peladeau. "Better prices, better services, and better technology will give Canadians consumers a break and will allow our businesses to compete."

Quebecor Inc. is a communications company with operations in North America, Europe, Latin America and Asia. It has two operating subsidiaries, Quebecor World Inc. and Quebecor Media Inc. Quebecor World is one of the largest commercial print media services companies in the world. Quebecor Media owns operating companies in numerous media related businesses, including Videotron Ltd., the largest cable operator in Quebec and a major Internet Service Provider and provider of telephone and business telecommunications services; Sun Media Corporation, Canada's largest national chain of tabloids and community newspapers and TVA Group Inc., operator of the largest French language over the air television network in Quebec. Quebecor Inc. has operations in 18 countries.

The presentation is available on the web site: www.quebecor.com