Microcell Telecommunications Creates Microcell i5

To position Fido (the company's PCS brand) as a communications tool for the future, Toronto-based MicroCell Telecommunications Inc. plans to rely on the strength of its brand as well as the synergy among the various Microcell subsidiaries. Enter Microcell i5, its latest subsidiary, a new mobile Internet services development company that represents an initial investment of $50 million. The company plans to launch its first services this autumn targeting Fido customers (which number more than 650,000 to date) across Canada.

In the coming months, the new company plans to create about 150 jobs and to assemble a team of qualified professionals in the new information economy. The goal is to launch products that will stand out from the competition. To do this quickly, Microcell i5 plans to establish strategic partnerships with the most experienced players in the content, applications, infrastructure, and technology industries. The first project to be launched by Microcell i5 is the portal for people on the go. It should be available to Fido customers in the fall of 2000, making several data services accessible to Fido customers.

"The evolution of our GSM network will play a key role in terms of the data products and services that will be introduced," said Andre Tremblay, Microcell Telecommunications president and CEO. "Within a year, the data transmission rate of our network should be increased tenfold. This upgrade will make possible to develop a host of services that meet the expanding needs of Microcell customers."

Edited by Ellen Jensen