Hydro-Quebec Chooses Rogers for Wireless Connectivity of Smart Meters

17  June 2011 - Rogers Communications announced today that the Rogers team in Quebec will enable the provision of machine to machine (M2M) wireless connectivity across the province of Quebec to Hydro-Quebec. Rogers will connect Hydro Quebec's central system with up to 600 Smart Meter collectors, which aggregate data relayed from the province's 3.8-million Smart Meters. Following a rigorous call for proposals, Rogers was awarded a six year contract because of its expertise in being able to provide M2M turnkey business solutions via a reliable network at competitive prices.

"We are proud to work with Hydro-Quebec to deliver this innovative, seamless turnkey business solution which will allow for real time connections across Quebec," said Philippe Sicotte, Vice President of business solutions at Rogers. "Rogers deploys innovative business solutions that allow its customers to have full control of their network and their operations. Rogers M2M customers have peace of mind knowing that their devices are running on Rogers' proven reliable network."

Rogers combines a world-class wireless network and the Rogers M2M Control Center, an industry leading M2M deployment platform exclusive to Rogers in Canada. In addition, Rogers integrates hardware from best-of-breed partners to wirelessly enable M2M solutions. To service Hydro Quebec in the context of this, Rogers will team up with Xplorenet Communications Inc. to ensure satellite connectivity in remote parts of Quebec. Rogers begins deployment on a trial basis of the M2M wireless connection of Hydro Quebec's Smart Meter collectors this month.

Over the past 15 years, Rogers has enabled hundreds of thousands M2M connections in Canada. As one of the only providers in Canada that provides access to global standards for M2M through the strength of our GPRS/EDGE/HSPA network technologies, Rogers is committed to providing the tools and platforms to enable fast delivery of next-generation connected devices across various industries and market segments. M2M solutions can serve to improve productivity, reduce costs through increased efficiency and allow for more precise quality control. Common M2M solutions include data collection, remote control, remote monitoring, status tracking, road traffic control, security systems, fleet management, telemedicine and connected consumer devices.

About Rogers Communications Inc.
Rogers Communications is a diversified Canadian communications and media company. It is Canada's largest provider of wireless voice and data communications services and one of Canada's leading providers of cable television, high-speed Internet and telephony services. Through Rogers Media it is engaged in radio and television broadcasting, televised shopping, magazines and trade publications, and sports entertainment. The company is  publicly traded on the Toronto Stock Exchange and on the New York Stock Exchange.

Source: Rogers Wireless