Maskatel Inc, first steps to maturity...

Mr. Augustin Guévremont, president of Telephone Guèvremont, is an innovative visionary, from the well-known Guèvremont family in the world of telecommunication. In July 1995, he had the idea of establishing a company in Saint-Hyacinthe, which would offer another choice to customers of Bell Canada and Télébec.

It should be known that the Guèvremont family been active in the telephone sector for over 75 years. A recent decision made by the Canadian Council of radio broadcasting and telecommunications (CRTC) announced the beginning for competition for the companies operating in this sector of the industry.

To take up this colossal challenge, Mr Guèvremont, president of Téléphone Guèvremont Inc., knew how to surround himself with builders, determined just like him to see this project through. Thus, he joined with Mr. Donald Dupuis to establish Maskatel Inc., a new company for local and long distance services. A few months later, in September 1996, construction began for the first head office of Maskatel, which today has transformed into a site of high technology.

From September 3, 1996, the construction site for the building of the first head office of Maskatel at 6035 boul Laframboise in Saint Hyacinthe. This establishment had become the site of high technology for the distribution of local lines and longdistance commutators.

In June 1997, the building of the first remote unit begins in the same period as the telephone network. It uses Hydro Quebec's poles and is parallel and external to Bell Canada. As the new network expands in 1998 and 1999, remote units are progressively added.

By September 1999, Maskatel gain the possibility to offer its long distance services on almost all of the territory in Quebec covered by Télébec and Bell Canada. In December of the same year, the company gets recognition by the C.R.T.C. as a local service competitor enterprise authorized to service a local calls network.

The year 2000 marks the beginning for the sale of local telephone lines in the town of Saint- Hyacinthe and the connection of the first client on January 10 th. Twelve months later, Maskatel had 3415 customers, connected on its own network, still restrain however.

With a strong personalized and effective customer service and with rates more than competitive, the company had to speed up its expansion to answer the increasing request of potential customers. New remote units are built, making it possible for Maskatel to cover more territory and satisfy the request for services.

In 2003, the head office of the company moved to a bigger buildings and new location on Choquette Boulevard, in the industrial park of Saint-Hyacinthe.

The Maskatel team is currently engaged in many other projects, anxious to offer new innovating services to its more than 18,.000 customers. It continues to maintain its personal approach made renown with its customers.