Pierre Karl Péladeau, President and CEO of Quebecor, has commented on the Government of Canada announcement setting out the rules for the upcoming wireless spectrum auction, including a set-aside of 30 MHz (out of a total of 70 MHz) for new entrants:

We are pleased that the government continues to recognize the important role of new entrants such as Videotron in driving increased competition, to the benefit of mobile telephone users.

Quebecor notes that the stable, ongoing presence of strong regional players such as Videotron has had a significant impact on mobile service prices in Canada. For example, a study by Nordicity commissioned by Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada, released in October 2017, found that the wireless rates of regional players such as Videotron, Eastlink and Freedom Mobile were an average 40.82% lower than those of the incumbents (Bell, Roger, Telus).^[1]

The government’s decision will enable new entrants to obtain a balanced portfolio of low and high frequencies, ensuring that all Canadians can continue enjoying mobile services of the highest quality, regardless of their carrier, Mr. Péladeau concluded.