UBI TEST MARKET IN QUEBEC GROWING
By Adnews Staff
Universal, Bidirectional, Interactive, a cable shopping service being tested in Chicoutimi and Jonquiere, Quebec, has increased the number of households in its network and begun advertising the service to consumers. While hardly ubiquitous, the UBI service now reaches 15,000 households. With a terminal, mini-printer and remote control, all supplied at no cost, consumers can switch from regular TV to view TV multimedia sites on the UBI service. The sites offer product information, community educational and health services, classified ads, local shopping circulars and municipal and government information. Consumers can order brochures from companies advertising on the site and even use the printer to produce discount coupons. Eventually UBI plans to allow shoppers to conduct transactions over the network. Montreal and Quebec City will be the next markets UBI rolls out to, but the company doesn't have a firm timeline for further expansion. A consumer campaign promoting UBI kicked off in the test market area in print and TV this week. The campaign is being handled by the BCP Group Ltd. of Montreal. UBI is a Montreal-based consortium of six corporations: Hydro Quebec, Loto-Quebec, The National Bank of Canada, Canada Post Corporation, The Hearst Corporation and Le Groupe Videotron Ltee.