Canadian MSO Vidéotron Communications Inc. said it will offer PowerTV Inc.'s
'SofaMAIL' electronic-mail application to about 1.6 million cable customers in
Quebec, calling it the largest commercial deployment of e-mail over hybrid
fiber-coaxial lines.
In an effort to boost its digital subscribers, the MSO also said it will
offer SofaMAIL free to customers who take the digital tier and purchase infrared
keyboards.
Vidéotron uses Scientific-Atlanta Inc. 'Explorer' digital boxes, which house
a software navigator that accesses the e-mail application. S-A is PowerTV's
parent company.
The addition of SofaMAIL is part of a plan for Vidéotron to offer a spate of
interactive services such as Internet access, chat and television commerce over
the Explorer platform, MSO president and chief operating officer Guy R.
Beauchamp said in a prepared statement.
