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Rogers and Fido make wireless phones ring with homegrown music

Times are changing. And so are cultural broadcasting channels! Today, a significant step has been taken in the evolution of Quebec music downloads for wireless telephones. Rogers Wireless and Fido subscribers are the first to be able to "quebecize" their phones by downloading the latest ring tunes by Audiogram and Tacca Musique recording artists, including Bran Van 3000, Bia, Anick Jean, Lhasa de Sela, Jean Leloup and Dumas. To purchase these ring tunes, all subscribers need to do is text message "QC" to 4755 from their wireless and a link to the Quebec music portal will be sent to them in the following seconds.

"Rogers is the first operator in the province to make so much Quebec content available to wireless subscribers," announced Sylvie Charette, Senior Director of Marketing and Communications at Rogers Wireless. "The wireless telephone is a distribution medium that is currently gaining in popularity around the world and, until today, in Quebec, much of the focus was put on international artists. The recent success of the launch of the Jean Leloup and François Pérusse content confirmed that there is demand for homegrown music. We are thrilled to be a market leader because we believe that Quebec has quality content to offer our subscribers," she added.

A promotional tool for artists

"As new medias emerge, consumption of culture is evolving rapidly and we must adapt. Wireless telephone users want more than just a voice transmission device. They want content that they can identify with. Our collaboration with Audiogram and Tacca enables us to develop a distribution platform that is adapted to the Quebec market," said Sébastien Fournier, Content Development Manager at Rogers Wireless.

"Music content for wireless subscribers is a must. It is an unmatched promotional showcase for our artists and, more than anything, it is a new and powerful distribution channel. It is the epitome of the impulse purchase channel: consumers buy when they want and from where they want!" commented Martin Merlino, Marketing and Promotion Director at Audiogram. "The marriage of technology and music serves the cultural industry very well. This new showcase directly reaches an audience that is in touch with the latest releases and represents an incredible potential for our artists." Added Oko Shio, Chief Financial Officer at Tacca Musique.

According to a study conducted by the Gartner Group, a firm specializing in technology-related marketing, Quebec is lagging behind in the penetration of wireless technology. "Wireless networks are constantly evolving and high bandwidth download possibilities seem limitless. The market has tremendous potential and needs only to be developed. Based on global trends, we can easily predict that the phenomenon will occur here also," explained Sylvie Charette.

For the purpose of comparison, a study conducted by UK telecommunications leader, 3UK(1), of 2 000 young people between the ages of 16 and 24, showed that the wireless telephone is the most popular channel of sales for music lovers. Below are some of the interesting conclusions of the study.

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- Music purchased via a wireless phone is the fastest growing format:

100% in 2005;

- Wireless sales will catch up to online music sales in the next 5

years; 1 out of 5 young people says that, if possible, s/he would

only download music from a wireless telephone;

- 6 out of 10 people under the age of 24 have purchased music through a

wireless telephone;

- Two-thirds of respondents said that they purchased music when using

public transit and the other half said that they were ready to buy

new songs once they were home;

- 60% of young people under the age of 24 believe that the CD will

become obsolete within the next 5 years;

- 85% of people under the age of 24 consider downloading to be

environmentally friendly.

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The wireless telephone: an evolving concept

With the technological breakthroughs made by wireless telephone manufacturers and operators, the cellular phone has gone from being a communications tool to a "life tool". By merging an electronic agenda, a mailbox, an Internet browser, a camera, and an MP3 player - only to name a few - the wireless telephone has become an integral part of users' lifestyles. With the possibility of downloading different products, including ring tunes, songs, and videos while on the move, it seems that there is no limit to what a wireless telephone can do for users.

About Rogers Wireless

Rogers Wireless Inc. is Canada's largest wireless voice and data communications services provider with offices in Canadian cities across the country, more than 5.9 million customers, and two powerful brands: Rogers Wireless and Fido. Rogers Wireless, which operates Canada's largest integrated wireless voice and data network, providing advanced voice and wireless data solutions to customers from coast to coast, is Canada's only carrier operating on the GSM/GPRS technology platform, the world standard for wireless communications technology. Rogers Wireless is a subsidiary of Rogers Communications Inc. (TSX: RCI; NYSE: RG), a diversified Canadian communications and media company. For further information, please visit www.rogers.com

About Fido

Fido offers Canadian consumers and businesses a wide range of wireless

voice and data communications products and services, including international roaming in over 180 countries. Fido is wholly owned by Rogers Wireless Inc., Canada's largest wireless provider and the country's only carrier operating on the global standard GSM technology platform. For more information, please visit www.fido.ca.

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(1) Research conducted by Dubit for 3UK and published on November 8, 2006

(www.three.co.uk).

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For further information: Simon-Y Parent, Rogers Wireless, (514) 734-6603, simony.parent@rci.rogers.com; Sebastien Bouchard, Rogers Wireless, (514) 734-6406, sebastien.bouchard@rci.rogers.com

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