Videotron Launches Zero-Rated Mobile Music Service

Canadian service provider Videotron has launched a mobile music streaming service that won’t count against customers' cellular data plans.

That service, called Unlimited Music, is launching with support for a handful of services – Stingray, Rdio, Google Play, Deezer and Spotify. Videotron said it will add other services, including Songza, in the coming weeks and months.

Unlimited Music is offered free to customers on a Premium plan, with at least 2 GB of data, or an Internet-mobile package with at least 1 GB of data.

In the U.S., T-Mobile introduced a similar offering that zero-rates music that’s streamed on its mobile network. Partners include Rhapsody (unRadio), Pandora, iHeartRadio, Apple Music, Slacker, Spotify, and Milk Music.

Videotron, which has 702,900 mobile subscribers, noted that its LTE network covers nearly 90% of Quebec, supporting speeds up to 150 Mbps.

“Music streaming is growing quickly around the world,” said Myrianne Collin, SVP, strategy and marketing at Videotron, said in a statement. “The numbers tell the story: more and more consumers are making their mobile device the nerve centre of their entertainment system and their constant electronic companion.”

Unlimited Music joins a growing list of new services from Videotron, which recently introduced a 4K set-top from Samsung for a coming Ultra HD offering, and is testing a 1 Gig broadband service Montreal that is powered by DOCSIS 3.0.