Montréal connected down into the metro: The STM brings Bell, Rogers, TELUS and Videotron together to offer metro clients an underground mobile network

Press release

In the usual order: Mr. Michel Labrecque, STM Chairman of the Board; Mr. François Gratton, President of TELUS Québec and Atlantic provinces; Mr. Michel Dagenais, Vice-President, Wireless Access Network, Bell; Ms. Hyun Hee Pyun, Vice-President, Marketing & Communications, Eastern Canada, Rogers Communications; Mr. Daniel Proulx, Chief Technology Officer, Videotron.

A visionary and generous initiative that promises to raise our city’s profile

Montréal, September 25, 2013 – The Société de transport de Montréal (STM) is bringing Bell, Rogers, TELUS and Videotron together to deploy a leading-edge mobile network in the Montréal metro. The cost of deployment, an estimated $50 million, will be shared equally by the four telecommunications providers.

While travelling on the metro, Montréal public transit clients will be able to browse the Web, watch videos, download music, make and receive calls, and more. In fact, 3G, 4G and 4G LTE (Long-Term Evolution) technologies will be deployed throughout the metro network, and coverage will be available in cars, tunnels and stations. This will make Montréal one of the few cities in the world to have a 4G LTE mobile underground network in its metro.

Bell, Rogers, TELUS and Videotron are cooperating to put their significant technological expertise to work for the STM and its clients. Construction of the network will be divided into five phases and will take five to seven years to complete. The project design phase is underway and installation is expected to begin by the end of 2013 at two stations on the metro’s green line, Saint-Laurent and Place-des-Arts.

“Against a backdrop of increasing ridership and continuous improvement in customer service, we welcome Bell, Rogers, TELUS and Videotron to the Montréal metro,” STM board Chair Michel Labrecque announced. “By uniting them around this promising and engaging project, we will finally be in a position to enable our approximately 900,000 daily customers to use their wireless devices while travelling through the metro system. This initiative will also enable us to meet one of the objectives of the Strategic Plan 2020, specifically to enhance the user experience by making it friendlier and more pleasant while continuing to improve the delivery of real-time information to our customers. We intend to keep monitoring new trends in technology to keep offering the best service possible.”

"As a Montréal-based company since our founding in 1880, Bell is very pleased to be part of this collaborative agreement with the STM to deploy a world-class mobile communications network serving Montréal's metro system,” said Michel Dagenais, Vice-President, Wireless Access Network for Bell. "Part of our promise to deliver the best broadband mobile services to customers across Canada, Bell is committed to the consortium’s plan to provide metro users with access to the leading network technologies available worldwide.”

“Rogers has always been passionate about ensuring that Montréalers get the most out of their wireless services; we were the first Canadian carrier to offer the most advanced wireless technology in the world to Montréalers in 2011. This partnership, with the STM, is yet another example of our ongoing commitment to bring connected experiences to all of our customers, no matter where they choose to connect – at home or on the go,” said Sylvain Roy, President, Québec and Executive Vice President, Consumer Sales and Distribution, Rogers Communications Inc.

“This project with the STM demonstrates our long-standing involvement with Montréal and offers yet another example of TELUS’ unwavering commitment to putting its customers first,” said François Gratton, President of TELUS Québec and Atlantic provinces. “Through our massive technology investments, TELUS is committed to providing the best experience, whether at home, at work or on the go. We would also like to thank our project partners for their trust, since TELUS was selected as the integrator responsible for designing and overseeing the network’s implementation. Together, by supporting public transit, we are helping build a friendlier future for all Montrealers.”

“Videotron is pleased to contribute to the technological development of the Montréal metro for the benefit of all users of the system,” said Manon Brouillette, President and Chief Operating Officer of Videotron. “We have been serving consumers for nearly 50 years, we have always been dedicated to making a difference in our customers’ lives. Videotron delivers the best experience by making it possible for customers to be connected anywhere, anytime. This exciting, large-scale project demonstrates the telecommunications industry’s leadership in innovation and its engagement with the community.”

This agreement was struck through Transgesco, the STM’s commercial subsidiary, which markets the STM’s assets while ensuring that public transit riders enjoy a better experience and value-added services.

The specification sheet for the project: www.stm.info/sites/default/files/ap_fiche_technique_a_0.pdf

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Isabelle A. Tremblay
STM
514-280-4940
Isabelle.tremblay@stm.info

Véronique Arsenault
Bell
514-391-5263
veronique.arsenault@bell.ca

Luiza Staniec
Rogers Communications Inc.
514-734-6681
Luiza.staniec@rci.rogers.com

Jacinthe Beaulieu
TELUS
418-318-6102
Jacinthe.beaulieu@telus.com

Youann Blouin
Vidéotron
514-380-7069
youann.blouin@videotron.com