QBCRF Quebecor Inc (PK)

ITEM 3 — KEY INFORMATION

A - Selected Financial Data

The following tables present selected consolidated financial information for our business presented in accordance with IFRS for each of the years ended December 31, 2016, 2015, 2014, 2013 and 2012. We derived this selected consolidated financial information from our audited consolidated financial statements, which are comprised of consolidated balance sheets as at December 31, 2016, 2015, 2014, 2013 and 2012 and the related consolidated statements of income, comprehensive income, equity and cash flows for each of the years in the five-year period ended December 31, 2016. The selected consolidated financial information presented below should be read in conjunction with the information contained in “Item 5. Operating and Financial Review and Prospects” and our audited consolidated financial statements as at December 31, 2016 and 2015 and for the years ended December 31, 2016, 2015 and 2014 and notes thereto contained in “Item 18. Financial Statements” of this annual report (beginning on page F-1). Our audited consolidated financial statements as at December 31, 2014, 2013 and 2012 and for the years ended December 31, 2013 and 2012 are not included in this annual report. Our consolidated financial statements as at December 31, 2016, 2015, 2014, 2013 and 2012 and for the years ended December 31, 2016, 2015, 2014, 2013 and 2012, prepared in accordance with IFRS, have been audited by Ernst & Young LLP, an independent registered public accounting firm. Ernst & Young LLP’s report on our consolidated financial statements as at December 31, 2016 and 2015 and for the years ended December 31, 2016, 2015 and 2014 is included in this annual report.

Our historical results are not necessarily indicative of our future financial condition or results of operations.

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B - Risk Factors

This section describes some of the risks that could materially affect our business, revenues, results of operations and financial condition, as well as the market value of our Senior Notes. The factors below should be considered in connection with any forward-looking statements in this document and with the cautionary statements contained in the section “Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Statements” at the forepart of this annual report. The risks below are not the only ones that we face. Some risks may not yet be known to us and some that we do not currently believe to be material could later turn out to be material.

Risks Relating to Our Business

We operate in highly competitive industries that are experiencing rapid technological developments and fierce price competition, and our inability to compete successfully could have a material adverse effect on our business, prospects, revenues, financial condition and results of operations.

In our cable business, we compete against incumbent local exchange carriers (“ ILECs ”), the primary one in our market holds a regional license to provide terrestrial broadcasting distribution in Montréal and several other communities in the Province of Québec. Such primary ILEC is rolling out its own Internet protocol television (“ IPTV ”) service throughout the country but more specifically in Montréal (including a portion of the greater Montréal area), in Québec City, and in other locations in the Province of Québec. It has also secured licenses to launch video distribution services using video digital subscriber line (“ VDSL ”) technology. We also compete against providers of direct broadcast satellite (“ DBS ”, which in Canada are also referred to as “ DTH ” for “direct-to-home” satellite providers), multichannel multipoint distribution systems, and satellite master antenna television systems. The direct access to some broadcasters’ websites that provide streaming in high-definition (“ HD ”) of video-on-demand (“ VOD ”) content is also available for some of the channels we offer in our television programming. In addition, some third-party Internet service providers (“ ISPs ”) have launched Internet Protocol video services (“ IPVS ”) in territories in which we provide services.

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We also face competition from illegal providers of cable television services and illegal access to non-Canadian DBS (also called grey market piracy), as well as from signal theft of DBS that enables customers to access programming services from U.S. and Canadian DBS without paying any fees (also called black market piracy). Competitors in the video business also include emerging content delivery platforms. Furthermore, OTT content providers, such as Netflix, Apple TV and Amazon Prime Video, as well as Canadian services such as Crave TV, compete for viewership and a share of the monthly entertainment spending currently allocated to traditional cable television and cable service VOD offerings.

Unlike us, OTT service providers are not subject to CRTC’s regulations and do not have to contribute financially to the Canadian traditional television business model or Internet infrastructure. Furthermore, foreign providers with no Canadian place of business are not required to charge federal and provincial sales tax. Consequently, this could place us at a competitive disadvantage, lead to increased operational costs and have an adverse effect on our business, prospects, revenues, financial conditions, and results of operations.

In our Internet access business, we compete against other ISPs offering residential and commercial Internet access services as well as WiMAX and open Wi-Fi networks in some cities. The main competitors are the ILECs that offer Internet access through digital subscriber line (“ DSL ”), fibre to the node and fibre to the home technologies, often offering comparable download speeds to ours. In addition, satellite operators such as Xplornet are increasing their existing high-speed Internet access capabilities with the launch of high-throughput satellites, targeting households in rural and remote locations and claiming future download speeds comparable to our low and medium download speeds. The CRTC also requires cable and ILEC network providers, including ourselves, to offer wholesale access to our high-speed Internet systems to third-party ISP competitors for them to provide retail Internet access services. These third-party ISP competitors may also provide telephony, IPVS and networking applications.

Our cable telephony business has numerous competitors, including ILECs, competitive local exchange carriers, mobile telephony service operators and other providers of telephony, Voice over Internet Protocol (“ VoIP ”) and Internet communications, including competitors that are not facility-based and therefore have a much lower infrastructure cost. In addition, Internet protocol-based products and services are generally subject to downward pricing pressure, lower margins and technological evolution, all of which could have an adverse effect on our business, prospects and results of operations.

In our mobile telephony business, we compete against a mix of market participants, some of them active in some or all of the products we offer, with others offering only mobile telephony services. In addition, users of mobile voice and data systems may find their communication needs satisfied by other current or developing adjunct technologies, such as Wi-Fi, “hotspots” or trunk radio systems, which have the technical capability to handle mobile data communication and mobile telephone calls. There can be no assurance that current or future competitors will not provide network capacity and/or services comparable or superior to those we provide or may in the future provide, or at lower prices, or adapt more quickly to evolving industry trends or changing market requirements, or introduce competing services. For instance, some providers of mobile telephony services (including incumbent carriers) have deployed and have been operating for many years lower-cost mobile telephony brands in order to acquire additional market share. In the near future, depending on new regulations, we could see the emergence of non facility-based operators in the wireless space. Also, we may not be able to compete successfully in the future against existing or potential competitors, and increased competition could have a material adverse effect on our business, prospects, revenues, financial condition, and results of operations.

Due to ongoing technological developments, the distinction between traditional platforms (broadcasting, Internet and telephony) is fading rapidly. For instance, emerging Go Platforms such as HBO Go, allow customers to view their traditional television content directly on their mobile devices or computers via Internet connection (although authentication as a broadcasting distribution undertaking’s subscriber (“ BDU’s subscriber ”) is still required in Canada). Also, the Internet, through wired and mobile devices, is becoming an important broadcasting and distribution platform. In addition, mobile operators, with the development of their Long-Term Evolution (also known as “ LTE ”) networks, are now offering wireless and fixed wireless Internet services. In addition, our VoIP telephony service also competes with Internet-based solutions.

Moreover, a few of our competitors are offering special discounts to customers who subscribe to two or more of their services (cable television or IPTV, Internet, residential and mobile telephony services). As a result, should we fail to keep our existing customers and lose them to such competitors, we may end up losing up to one subscriber for each of our services. This could have an adverse effect on our business, prospects, revenues, financial condition and results of operations.

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Fierce price competition in all our businesses and across the industries in which we operate may affect our ability to raise the price of our products and services in line with increases in our operating costs, as we have done in the past. This could have an adverse effect on our business, revenues, financial condition, and results of operations.

We compete, and will continue to compete, with alternative technologies and we may be required to invest a significant amount of capital to address continuing technological evolution and development.

In relation to our Media segment, the media industry is experiencing rapid and significant technological changes, which have resulted in alternative means of program and content transmission. The continued growth of the Internet has presented alternative content distribution options that compete with traditional media. Consumers are spending an increasing amount of time on the Internet and on mobile devices, and are increasingly viewing content on a time-delayed or on-demand basis from the Internet, on their televisions and on portable devices. These alternative technologies may increase audience fragmentation, reduce our Media segment business’s ratings, readership or circulation levels or have an adverse effect on advertising revenues from local and national advertisers. Furthermore, in our video distribution markets, industry regulators have authorized DTH, microwave services and VDSL services, and may authorize other alternative methods of transmitting television and other content with improved speed and quality.

The continuous technological improvements to the Internet, combined with higher download speeds and cost reductions for customers, may divert a portion of our Media business’ existing television subscriber base from our services to new video-over-the-Internet model. While having a positive impact on the demand for our Internet services, video-over-the-Internet could adversely impact the demand for our other services.

We may not be able to successfully compete with existing or newly developed alternative technologies, such as IPTV, or we may be required to acquire, develop or integrate new technologies. The cost of the acquisition, development or implementation of new technologies could be significant and our ability to fund such implementation may be limited, which could have a material adverse effect on our ability to successfully compete in the future. Any such difficulty or inability to compete could have a material adverse effect on our business, reputation, prospects, financial condition, and results of operations.

We have entered into roaming agreements with other mobile operators in order to provide worldwide coverage to our mobile telephony customers. Our inability to extend our worldwide coverage or to renew, or substitute for, these roaming agreements at their respective terms, and on acceptable terms, may place us at a competitive disadvantage, which could adversely affect our ability to operate our mobile business successfully and profitably.

We have entered into roaming agreements with multiple carriers around the world (including Canada, the United States and Europe), and have established worldwide coverage. Our inability to extend our worldwide coverage or to renew, or substitute for, these roaming agreements at their respective or better terms or on acceptable terms, may place us at a competitive disadvantage, which could adversely affect our ability to operate our mobile business successfully and profitably. In addition, if we are unable to renew, or substitute for, these roaming agreements on a timely basis and at an acceptable cost, our cost structure could materially increase, and, consequently, our business, financial condition and results of operations could be adversely affected.

Moreover, since 2015 in Canada, the CRTC has decided that each of the three national wireless incumbent carriers would be obliged to provide wholesale roaming services to regional (including Videotron) and new entrant carriers at cost-based rates. A tariff proceeding is currently underway to determine these rates. The result of the wholesale roaming tariff proceeding may have an impact on our roaming cost structure and on the types of retail packages we are able to offer our customers in this regard.

Our reputation may be negatively impacted, which could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.

We have generally enjoyed a good reputation among the public. Our ability to maintain our existing customer relationships and to attract new customers depends to a large extent on our reputation. While we have put in place certain mechanisms to mitigate the risk that our reputation may be tarnished, including good governance practices and a Code of Ethics, we cannot be assured that we will continue to enjoy a good reputation nor can we be assured that events that are beyond our control will not cause our reputation to be negatively impacted. The loss or tarnishing of our reputation could have a material adverse effect on our business, prospects, financial condition, and results of operations.

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We could be adversely impacted by higher handset subsidies and increase in bring-your-own-device (“BYOD”) customers.

Our mobile telephony business model is based substantially on subsidizing the cost of subscriber handsets, similar to other Canadian wireless carriers. This model attracts customers and in exchange they commit to a term contract with us. We also commit to a minimum subsidy per unit with the supplier of certain smartphone devices. If we are unable to recover the costs of the subsidies over the term of the customer contract, this could negatively impact our business, financial condition, and results of operations.

Also, with the CRTC’s Wireless Code introduced in 2013 limiting wireless term contracts to two years from three years, the number of BYOD customers with no-term contracts has increased. Such customers are under no contractual obligation to remain with us, this could have a material adverse effect on our churn rate and, consequently, on our business, financial condition and results of operations.

Our inventory may become obsolete.

Our various products in inventory generally have a relatively short lifecycle due to frequent technological changes. If we cannot effectively manage inventory levels based on product demand, this could increase the risk of inventory obsolescence and could have an adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.

We are regularly required to make capital expenditures to remain technologically and economically competitive. We may not be able to obtain additional capital to implement our business strategies and make capital expenditures.

Our strategy of maintaining a leadership position in the suite of products and services we offer and of launching new products and services requires capital investments in our network and infrastructure to support growth in our customer base and its demands for increased bandwidth capacity and other services. In the past, we have required substantial capital for the upgrade, expansion and maintenance of our network and the launch and deployment of new or additional services. We expect that additional capital expenditures will continue to be required in the short-term, mid-term and long-term in order to expand and maintain our networks, systems and services, including expenditures relating to advancements in Internet access, HD television, ultra-high-definition (“ UHD ”) television and television everywhere/every platform requiring Internet protocol delivery technology, the introduction of virtual reality, as well as the cost of our mobile services infrastructure deployment, maintenance and enhancement.

The demand for wireless data services has been growing at high rates and it is projected that this demand will further accelerate, driven by the following increases: levels of broadband penetration; need for personal connectivity and networking; affordability of smartphones and Internet-only devices (e.g., high-usage data devices such as mobile Internet keys, tablets and electronic book readers); multimedia-rich services and applications; and unlimited data plans. The anticipated levels of data traffic will represent a growing challenge to the current mobile network’s ability to serve this traffic. We may have to acquire additional spectrum, if available and if economically reasonable, in order to address this increased demand. The ability to acquire additional spectrum (if needed) is dependent on the timing and the rules established by Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada (“ ISED ”). If we are not successful in acquiring additional spectrum we may need on reasonable terms, or not at all, that could have a material adverse effect on our business, prospects and financial condition. See also “Item 4. Information on the Corporation — Regulation — Canadian Telecommunications Services — Regulatory Framework for Mobile Wireless Services.”

Developing, maintaining and enhancing our LTE network requires capital expenditures to remain competitive and to comply with our obligations under the agreement with our partner governing the joint build-out of our LTE network. A geographical expansion or densification of our LTE network may require us to incur significant costs and to make significant capital expenditures. See also “Item 4. Information on the Corporation — Business Overview - Telecommunications.”

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There can be no assurance that we will be able to generate or otherwise obtain the funds to finance any portion of these capital improvement programs, new strategies and services or other capital expenditure requirements, whether through cash from operations, additional borrowings or other sources. If we are unable to generate sufficient funds or obtain additional financing on acceptable terms, we may be unable to implement our business strategies or proceed with the capital expenditures and investments required to maintain our leadership position, and our business, financial condition, results of operations, reputation, and prospects could be materially adversely affected. Even if we are able to obtain adequate funding, the period of time required to upgrade our network could have a material adverse effect on our ability to successfully compete in the future. Moreover, additional investments in our business may not translate into incremental revenues, cash flows or profitability.

See also the risk factors “— We operate in highly competitive industries that are experiencing rapid technological developments and fierce price competition, and our inability to compete successfully could have a material adverse effect on our business, prospects, revenues, financial condition and results of operations”, “—We compete, and will continue to compete, with alternative technologies and we may be required to invest a significant amount of capital to address continuing technological evolution and development” and “— Risks Relating to our Senior Notes and our Capital Structure — We may be required from time to time to refinance certain of our indebtedness. Our inability to do so on favorable terms, or at all, could have a material adverse effect on us.”

We may need to support increasing costs in securing access to support structures needed for our cable network.

We require access to the support structures of hydroelectric and telephone utilities and need municipal rights of way to deploy our cable network. Where access to the structures of telephone utilities cannot be secured, we may apply to the CRTC to obtain a right of access under the Telecommunications Act (Canada) (the “ Telecommunications Act ”). We have entered into comprehensive support structure access agreements with all the major hydroelectric companies and all the major telecommunications companies in our service territory. In the event that we seek to renew or to renegotiate these agreements, we cannot guarantee that these agreements will continue to be available on their respective terms, on acceptable terms, or at all, which may place us at a competitive disadvantage.

We may not successfully implement our business and operating strategies.

Our business strategies are based on leveraging an integrated platform of media assets. Our strategies include offering multiplatform advertising solutions, generating and distributing content across a spectrum of media properties and assets, launching and deploying additional value-added products and services, pursuing cross-promotional opportunities, maintaining our advanced broadband network, pursuing enhanced content development to reduce costs, further integrating the operations of our subsidiaries, leveraging geographic clustering, and maximizing customer satisfaction across our business. We may not be able to implement these strategies successfully or realize their anticipated results fully or at all, and their implementation may be more costly or challenging than initially planned. In addition, our ability to successfully implement these strategies could be adversely affected by a number of factors beyond our control, including operating difficulties, increased ongoing operating costs, regulatory developments, general or local economic conditions, increased competition, technological changes, and other factors described in this “Risk Factors” section. While the centralization of certain business operations and processes has the advantage of standardizing our practices, thereby reducing costs and increasing effectiveness, it also represents a risk in itself should a business solution implemented by a centralized office throughout the organization fail to produce the intended results. We may also be required to make capital expenditures or other investments that may affect our ability to implement our business strategies if we are unable to secure additional financing on acceptable terms or to generate sufficient funds internally to cover those requirements. Any material failure to implement our strategies could have a material adverse effect on our reputation, business, financial condition, prospects, and results of operations, as well as on our ability to meet our obligations, including our ability to service our indebtedness.

As part of our strategy, in recent years, we have entered into certain agreements with third-parties under which we are committed to making significant operating expenditures in the future. We can provide no assurance that we will be successful in developing new activities in relation to these engagements, including the development of new revenue sources.

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We could be adversely impacted by consumers’ trend to abandon cable telephony and television services.

The recent trend toward mobile substitution or “cord-cutting” (when users cancel their landline telephony services and opt for mobile telephony services only) is largely the result of the increasing mobile penetration rate in Canada and the various unlimited offers launched by mobile operators. In addition, there is also a consumer trend to abandon and substitute wire and cable television for Internet access services in order to stream directly from broadcasters and OTT content providers. We may not be successful in converting our existing cable telephony subscriber base to our mobile telephony services or in attracting customers to our OTT entertainment platforms, which could have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations and financial condition.

We could be adversely affected by the rapid growth of traffic volumes on the Internet.

Internet users are downloading an increasing amount of data each year and households are now connected to the Internet through a combination of several computers, tablets and other mobile devices, leading to simultaneous flows per home, which constitutes a departure from the past, when a majority of households were connected to the Internet through a single computer. In addition, some content on the Internet, such as videos, is now available at a higher bandwidth for which HD, as opposed to standard definition, has become the norm. OTT service providers have recently started streaming UHD content which uses even more bandwidth than HD services. There has therefore been an increase in data consumption and an intensification of Internet traffic during peak periods, which calls for increased bandwidth capacity to address the needs of our customers.

Equipment costs are under pressure in an effort to counterbalance customers’ demand for bandwidth. While we can relay some of this pressure on costs to our manufacturers, can adopt new technologies that reduce costs or implement other cost-reduction initiatives, our inability to fully meet our increasing need for bandwidth may result in price increases or in reduced profitability.

If we do not effectively manage our growth, our business, results of operations and financial condition could be adversely affected.

We have experienced substantial growth in our business and have significantly expanded our operations over the years. We have sought in the past, and may, in the future, seek to further expand the types of businesses in which we participate, under appropriate conditions. We can provide no assurance that we will be successful in either developing or fulfilling the objectives of any such business expansion.

In addition, our expansion may require us to incur significant costs or divert significant resources, and may limit our ability to pursue other strategic and business initiatives, which could have an adverse effect on our business, financial condition, prospects or results of operations. Furthermore, if we are not successful in managing our growth, or if we are required to incur significant or unforeseen costs, our business, results of operations and financial condition could be adversely affected.

We may not be successful in the development of our Sports and Entertainment business.

We have recently made and are continuing to make significant investments in an effort to develop our Sports and Entertainment business. Some of these investments require significant capital expenditures and management attention. The success of such investments involves numerous risks that could adversely affect our growth and profitability, including the following risks: that management may not be able to successfully manage the development of our Sports and Entertainment business; that the development of the Sports and Entertainment business may place significant demands on management, diverting attention from existing operations; that investments may require substantial financial resources that otherwise could be used in the development of our other businesses; that we will not be able to achieve the benefits we expect from our investments in the development of our Sports and Entertainment business; and the risk associated with a failure to make continued investments in our Sports and Entertainment business in order to respond to consumer trends and demands, which could adversely affect our ability to compete in the sports and entertainment industry.

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The implementation of changes to the structure of our business may be more expensive than expected and we may not gain all the anticipated benefits.

We have and will continue to implement changes to the structure of our business due to many factors, such as the necessity of a corporate restructuring, a system replacement and upgrade, a process redesign, and the integration of business acquisitions or existing business units. These changes must be managed carefully to ensure that we capture the intended benefits. The implementation process may lead to greater-than-expected operational challenges and costs, expenses, customer loss, and business disruption for us, which could adversely affect our business and our ability to gain our anticipated benefits.

We depend on key personnel and our inability to retain skilled employees may have an adverse effect on our financial condition and results of operations.

Our success depends to a large extent on the continued services of our senior management and our ability to retain skilled employees. There is intense competition for qualified management and skilled employees, and our failure to recruit, train and retain such employees could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations. In addition, in order to implement and manage our businesses and operating strategies effectively, we must sustain a high level of efficiency and performance and maintain content quality, we must continually enhance our operational and management systems, and continue to effectively attract, train, motivate and manage our employees. If we are not successful in these efforts, it may have a material adverse effect on our business, prospects, results of operations and financial condition.

Our Media segment faces substantial competition for advertising and circulation revenues/audience.

Advertising revenue is the primary source of revenue for our Media segment. Our revenues and operating results in these businesses depend on the relative strength of the economy in our principal markets, as well as the strength or weakness of local, regional and national economic factors. These economic factors affect the levels of retail and national advertising revenue of our media properties. Since a significant portion of our advertising revenue is derived from retail and automotive sector advertisers, weakness in these sectors and in the real estate industry has had, and may continue to have, an adverse impact on the revenues and results of operations of our Media segment. Continuing or deepening softness in the Canadian or U.S. economy could further adversely affect key national advertising revenues.

Advertising revenues for our Media segment are also driven by readership and circulation levels, as well as by market demographics, price, service and advertiser results. Readership and circulation levels tend to be based on the content of the newspaper or magazine, service, availability and price. A prolonged decline in readership and circulation levels in our newspaper and magazine businesses and lack of audience acceptance of our content would have a material effect on the rate and volume of our newspaper and magazine advertising revenues (as rates reflect circulation and readership, among other factors), and could also affect our ability to institute circulation price increases for our print products, all of which could have a material adverse effect on our business, prospects, results of operations and financial condition.

The newspaper and magazine industry is experiencing structural changes, including the growing availability of free access to media, shifting readership habits, digital transferability, the advent of real-time information and secular changes in the advertising industry as well as the declining frequency of regular newspaper and magazine buying, particularly among young people, who increasingly rely on non-traditional media as a source for news and information. As a result, competition for advertising spend and circulation revenues comes not only from other newspapers and traditional media, but also from digital media technologies, which have introduced a wide variety of media distribution platforms (including, most significantly, the Internet and distribution over wireless devices and e-readers) for readers and advertisers.

While we continue to pursue initiatives to offer value-added advertising solutions to our advertisers and to maintain our circulation base, such as investments in the re-design and overhaul of our newspaper and magazine websites and the publication of e-editions of a number of our newspapers and magazines, we may not be successful in retaining our historical share of advertising revenues or in transferring our audience to our new digital products. The ability of our Media segment to grow and succeed over the long-term depends on various factors, including our ability to attract advertisers and readers (including subscribers) to our online sites. Our new initiatives developed to generate additional revenues from our websites (such as digital platform advertising and/or our paywall revenue model) may not be accepted by users and consequently, may negatively affect online traffic. In addition, we can provide no assurance that we will be able to recover the costs associated with the implementation of these initiatives through increased circulation, advertising and digital revenues.

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In broadcasting, the proliferation of television channels, progress in mobile and wireless technology, the migration of television audiences to the Internet and the viewing public’s increased control over the manner, content and timing of their media consumption through personal video recording devices, have all contributed to the fragmentation of the television viewing audience and to a more challenging advertising sales environment. For example, the increased availability of personal video recording devices and video programming on the Internet, as well as the increased access to various media through mobile devices, may each have the potential to reduce the viewing of our content through traditional distribution outlets. Some of these new technologies also give consumers greater flexibility to watch programming on a time-delayed or on-demand basis, or to fast-forward or skip advertisements within our programming, which may adversely impact the advertising revenues we receive. Delayed viewing and advertisement skipping have the potential to become more common as the penetration of personal video recording devices increases and content becomes increasingly available via Internet sources. If the broadcasting market continues to fragment, our audience share levels and our advertising revenues, results of operations, financial condition, business and prospects could be materially adversely affected.

Our financial performance could be materially adversely affected if we cannot continue to distribute a wide range of television programming on commercially reasonable terms.

The financial performance of our cable and mobile services depends in large part on our ability to distribute on our platforms a wide range of appealing, conveniently-scheduled television programming at reasonable rates. We obtain television programming rights from suppliers pursuant to programming contracts. In recent years, these suppliers have become vertically integrated and are now more limited in number. The quality and amount of television programming we offer affect the attractiveness of our services to customers and, accordingly, the rates we can charge for these services. We may be unable to maintain key programming contracts at commercially reasonable rates for television programming. Loss of programming contracts, our inability to obtain programming at reasonable rates or our inability to pass-through rate increases to our customers could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects.

In addition, our ability to attract and retain cable customers depends, to a certain extent, on our capacity to offer quality content, HD and UHD programming, an appealing variety of programming choices and packages, as well as multiplatform distribution and on-demand content, at competitive prices. If the number of specialty channels being offered does not increase at the level and pace comparable to our competitors, if the content offered on such channels does not receive audience acceptance, or if we are unable to offer multiplatform availability, HD and UHD programming and on-demand content for capacity reasons, among others, this may have a negative impact on revenues from our cable operations.

The multiplicity of foreign and deregulated content providers (often global players on the Internet) puts pressure on the viability of our current business model for television distribution. Substantial capital expenditures on our infrastructure and on our research and development may be required to remain competitive.

We may be adversely affected by variations in our costs, quality and variety of our television programming.

The most significant expenses in television broadcasting are programming and production costs. Increased competition in the television broadcasting industry, developments affecting producers and distributors of programming content, the vertical integration of distributors and broadcasters, introduction from various OTT providers of original and exclusive programming, changes in viewer preferences and other developments could impact both the availability and the costs of programming content, as well as the costs of production. Future increases or volatility in programming and production costs could adversely affect our operating results. Developments in cable, satellite or other forms of distribution could also affect both the availability and the cost of programming and production and increase competition for advertising expenditures. As well, the value of royalties payable pursuant to the Copyright Act (Canada) (the “ Copyright Act ”) are frequently decided by the Copyright Board of Canada (the “ Copyright Board ”) during or even after the applicable period, which can cause retroactive increases in content costs.

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The launch of new specialty services may not be as profitable as anticipated.

We are investing in the launch of new specialty services in our broadcasting operations. During the period immediately following the launch of a new specialty service, subscription revenues are always relatively modest, while initial operating expenses may prove more substantial. Furthermore, although we believe in the potential associated with this strategy, there is a possibility that the anticipated profitability could take several years to materialize or may never materialize.

We may be adversely affected by the loss of key customers.

Our businesses are based primarily on customer satisfaction with reliability, timeliness, quality and price and, in general, we do not have long-term or exclusive service agreements with our customers. We are unable to predict if, or when, our customers will purchase our services. There can be no assurance that the revenues generated from key customers, individually or in the aggregate, will reach or exceed historical levels in any future period, or that we will be able to develop relationships with new customers. We cannot assure that we will continue to maintain favorable relationships with these customers or that they will not be adversely affected by economic conditions.

We provide our cable television, Internet access, cable telephony and mobile telephony services through a single clustered network, which may be more vulnerable to widespread disruption.

We provide our cable television, Internet access, cable telephony and mobile telephony services through a primary headend and our analog television services through twelve additional regional headends in our single clustered network. Despite available emergency backup or replacement sites, a failure in our primary headend, including exogenous threats, such as cyberattacks, natural disasters, sabotage or terrorism, or dependence on certain external infrastructure providers (such as electric utilities), could prevent us from delivering some of our products and services throughout our network until the failure has been resolved, which may result in significant customer dissatisfaction, loss of revenues and potential civil litigation.

Cybersecurity breaches and other similar disruptions could expose us to liability, which would have an adverse effect on our business and reputation.

The ordinary course of our telecommunications and data-storage businesses involves the receipt, collection, storage and transmission of sensitive data, including our proprietary business information and that of our customers, and personally identifiable information of our customers and employees, whether in our data centres, systems, infrastructure, networks and processes, including those of our suppliers. The secure processing, maintenance and transmission of this information is critical to our operations and business strategy.

Although we have implemented and regularly review and update processes and procedures to protect against unauthorized access to or use of sensitive data, including data of our customers, and to prevent data loss, and, although ever-evolving cyber-threats require us to continually evaluate and adapt our data centres, systems, infrastructure, networks and processes, we cannot assure that our data centres, systems, infrastructure, networks and processes, as well as those of our suppliers, will be adequate to safeguard against all information security access by third-parties or errors by employees or by third party suppliers. If we are subject to a significant cyber-attack or breach, unauthorized access, errors of third-party suppliers or other security breaches, we may incur significant costs, be subject to investigations, sanctions and litigation, including under laws that protect the privacy of personal information, and we may suffer damage to our business, competitive position and reputation.

In addition, the preventive actions we take to reduce the risks associated with cyber-attacks, including protection of our data centres, systems, infrastructure, networks and processes as well as efforts to improve the overall governance over information security and the controls within our IT systems, may be insufficient to repel or mitigate the effects of a major cyber-attack in the future.

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We store and process increasingly large amounts of personally identifiable data of our clients, employees or our business partners, and the improper use or disclosure of such data would have an adverse effect on our business and reputation.

We store and process increasingly large amounts of personally identifiable information of our clients, employees or our business partners. We face risks inherent in protecting the security of such personal data. In particular, we face a number of challenges in protecting the data in and hosted on our systems, or those belonging to our suppliers, including from advertent or inadvertent actions or inactions by our employees, as well as in relation to compliance with applicable laws, rules and regulations relating to the collection, use, disclosure and security of personal information, including any requests from regulatory and government authorities relating to such data. Although we have developed systems, processes and security controls that are designed to protect personally identifiable information of our clients, employees or our business partners, we may be unable to prevent the improper disclosure, loss, misappropriation of, unauthorized access to, or other security breach relating to such data that we store or process or that our suppliers store or process. As a result, we may incur significant costs, be subject to investigations, sanctions and litigation, including under laws that protect the privacy of personal information, and we may suffer damage to our business, competitive position and reputation.

We are dependent upon our information technology systems and those of certain third-parties. The inability to enhance our systems could have an adverse impact on our financial results and operations.

The day-to-day operation of our business is highly dependent on information technology systems, including those of certain third-party suppliers. An inability to maintain and enhance our existing information technology systems or obtain new systems to accommodate additional customer growth or to support new products and services could have an adverse impact on our ability to acquire new subscribers, retain existing customers, produce accurate and timely billing, generate revenue growth and manage operating expenses, all of which could adversely impact our financial results and position.

Malicious and abusive Internet practices could impair our cable data and mobile data services as well as our fibre-optic connectivity business.

Our cable data, mobile data and fibre-optic connectivity business customers utilize our network to access the Internet and, as a consequence, we or they may become a victim of common malicious and abusive Internet activities, such as unsolicited mass advertising (or spam) and dissemination of viruses, worms and other destructive or disruptive software. These activities could have adverse consequences on our network and our customers, including deterioration of service, excessive call volume to call centers, and damage to our customers’ equipment and data or ours. Significant incidents could lead to customer dissatisfaction and, ultimately, to a loss of customers or revenues, in addition to increased costs to service our customers and protect our network. Any significant loss of cable data, mobile data or fibre-optic connectivity business customers, or a significant increase in the costs of serving those customers, could adversely affect our reputation, business, prospects, financial condition and results of operations.

We may not be able to protect our services from piracy, which may have an adverse effect on our customer base and lead to a possible decline in revenues.

In our cable television, Internet access, OTT and telephony business, we may not be able to protect our services and data from piracy. We may be unable to prevent electronic attacks to gain unauthorized access to our network, analog and digital programming, and our Internet access services. We use encryption technology to protect our cable signals and OTT from unauthorized access and to control programming access based on subscription packages. We may not be able to develop or acquire adequate technology to prevent unauthorized access to our network, programming and data, which may have an adverse effect on our customer base and lead to a possible decline in our revenues, as well as to significant remediation costs and legal claims.

We depend on third-party suppliers and providers for services, hardware, equipment, information and other items critical to our operations.

We depend on third-party suppliers and providers for certain services, hardware and equipment that are critical to our operations and network evolution. These materials and services include set-top boxes, mobile telephony handsets and

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network equipment, cable and telephony modems, servers and routers, fibre-optic cable, telephony switches, inter-city links, support structures, software, the “backbone” telecommunications network for our Internet access and telephony services, and construction services for the expansion of and upgrades to our cable and mobile networks. These services and equipment are available from a limited number of suppliers and therefore we face the risks of supplier disruption, including business difficulties, restructuring or supply-chain issues. If no supplier can provide us with the equipment and services that we require or that comply with evolving Internet and telecommunications standards or that are compatible with our other equipment and software, our business, financial condition and results of operations could be materially adversely affected. In addition, if we are unable to obtain critical equipment, software, services or other items on a timely basis and at an acceptable cost, our ability to offer our products and services and roll out our advanced services may be delayed, and our business, financial condition and results of operations could be materially adversely affected.

In addition, we obtain proprietary content critical to our operations through licensing arrangements with content providers. Some providers may seek to increase fees or impose technological requirements to protect their proprietary content. If we are unable to renegotiate commercially acceptable arrangements with these content providers, comply with their technological requirements or find alternative sources of equivalent content, our operations may be adversely affected.

We may be adversely affected by litigation and other claims.

In the normal course of business, we are involved in various legal proceedings and other claims relating to the conduct of our business, including class actions. Although, in the opinion of our management, the outcome of current pending claims and other litigation is not expected to have a material adverse effect on our reputation, results of operations, liquidity or financial position, a negative outcome in respect of any such claim or litigation could have a said adverse effect. Moreover, the cost of defending against lawsuits and the diversion of management’s attention could be significant. See also “Item 8. Financial Information – Legal Proceedings” in this annual report.

We may be adversely affected by strikes and other labour protests.

At December 31, 2016, 54% of our employees were represented by collective bargaining agreements. Through our subsidiaries, we are currently party to 31 collective bargaining agreements. We are not currently subject to any labour dispute. Nevertheless, we can neither predict the outcome of current or future negotiations relating to labour disputes, union representation or renewal of collective bargaining agreements, nor guarantee that we will not experience future work stoppages, strikes or other forms of labour protests pending the outcome of any current or future negotiations. If our unionized workers engage in a strike or any other form of work stoppage, we could experience a significant disruption to our operations, damage to our property and/or interruption to our services, which could adversely affect our business, assets, financial position, results of operations and reputation. Even if we do not experience strikes or other forms of labour protests, the outcome of labour negotiations could adversely affect our business and results of operations. Such could be the case if current or future labour negotiations or contracts were to further restrict our ability to maximize the efficiency of our operations. In addition, our ability to make short-term adjustments to control compensation and benefit costs is limited by the terms of our collective bargaining agreements.

Our defined benefit pension plans are currently underfunded and our pension funding requirements could increase significantly due to a reduction in funded status as a result of a variety of factors.

The economic cycles, employee demographics and changes in regulations could have a negative impact on the funding of our defined benefit pension plans and related expenditures. There is no guarantee that the expenditures and contributions required to fund these pension plans will not increase in the future and therefore negatively impact our operating results and financial position. Risks related to the funding of defined benefit plans may materialize if total obligations with respect to a pension plan exceed the total value of its trust assets. Shortfalls may arise due to lower-than-expected returns on investments, changes in the assumptions used to assess the pension plan’s obligations, and actuarial losses.

We may be adversely affected by exchange rate fluctuations.

Most of our revenues and expenses are denominated in Canadian dollars. However, certain expenditures, such as the purchase of set-top boxes and cable modems, certain mobile devices and certain capital expenditures, including certain costs related to the development and maintenance of our mobile network, are paid in U.S. dollars. Those costs are partially hedged hence a significant increase in the U.S. dollar could have an adverse effect on our results of operations.

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Also, a substantial portion of our debt is denominated in U.S. dollars, and interest, principal and premium, if any, are payable in U.S. dollars. For the purposes of financial reporting, any change in the value of the Canadian dollar against the U.S. dollar during a given financial reporting period would result in a foreign exchange gain or loss on the translation of any unhedged U.S. dollar-denominated debt into Canadian dollars. Consequently, our reported earnings and debt could fluctuate materially as a result of foreign-exchange gains or losses. We have entered into transactions to hedge the exchange rate risk with respect to our U.S. dollar-denominated debt outstanding at December 31, 2016, and we intend in the future to enter into such transactions for new U.S. dollar-denominated debt. These hedging transactions could, in certain circumstances, prove economically ineffective and may not be successful in protecting us against exchange rate fluctuations, or we may in the future be required to provide cash and other collateral in order to secure our obligations with respect to such hedging transactions, or we may in the future be unable to enter into such transactions on favorable terms, or at all.

In addition, certain cross-currency interest rate swaps entered into by us and our subsidiaries include an option that allows each party to unwind the transaction on a specific date at the then settlement amount.

The fair value of the derivative financial instruments we are party to is estimated using period-end market rates and reflects the amount we would receive or pay if the instruments were terminated and settled at those dates, as adjusted for counterparties’ non-performance risk. At December 31, 2016, the net aggregate fair value of our cross-currency interest rate swaps and foreign-exchange forward contracts was in a net asset position of $808.7  million on a consolidated basis. See also “Item 11. Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures About Market Risk” of this annual report.

Some of our suppliers source their products out of the U.S., therefore, although we pay those suppliers in Canadian dollars, the prices we pay for such commodities or products may be affected by fluctuations in the exchange rate. We may in the future enter into transactions to hedge our exposure to the exchange rate risk related to the prices of some of those commodities or products. However, fluctuations to the exchange rate for our purchases that are not hedged could affect the prices we pay for such purchases and could have an adverse effect on our results of operations.

The volatility and disruptions in the capital and credit markets could adversely affect our business, including the cost of new capital, our ability to refinance our scheduled debt maturities and meet our other obligations as they become due.

The capital and credit markets have experienced significant volatility and disruption in the past, resulting in periods of upward pressure on the cost of new debt capital and severe restrictions in credit availability for many companies. In such periods, the disruptions and volatility in the capital and credit markets have also resulted in higher interest rates or greater credit spreads on the issuance of debt securities and increased costs under credit facilities. Disruptions and volatility in the capital and credit markets could increase our interest expense, thereby adversely affecting our results of operations and financial position.

Our access to funds under our existing credit facilities is dependent on the ability of the financial institutions that are parties to those facilities to meet their funding commitments. Those financial institutions may not be able to meet their funding commitments if they experience shortages of capital and liquidity, or if they experience excessive volumes of borrowing requests within a short period of time. Moreover, the obligations of the financial institutions under our credit facilities are several and not joint and, as a result, a funding default by one or more institutions does not need to be made up by the others.

Extended periods of volatility and disruptions in the capital and credit markets as a result of uncertainty, ongoing changes in or increased regulation of financial institutions, reduced financing alternatives or failures of significant financial institutions could adversely affect our access to the liquidity and affordability of funding needed for our businesses in the longer term. Such disruptions could require us to take measures to conserve cash until markets stabilize or until alternative credit arrangements or other funding for our business needs can be arranged. Market disruptions and broader economic challenges may lead to lower demand for certain of our products and increased incidences of customer inability to pay or timely pay for the services or products that we provide. Events such as these could adversely impact our results of operations, cash flows, financial position and prospects.

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A failure to adopt an ethical business conduct may adversely affect our reputation.

Any failure or perceived failure to adhere to our policies, the law or ethical business practices could significantly affect our reputation and brands and could therefore negatively impact our financial performance. Our framework for managing ethical business conduct includes the adoption of a Code of Ethics which our directors and employees are required to acknowledge and agree to on a regular basis and, as part of an independent audit and security function, maintenance of a whistle-blowing hotline. There can be no assurance that these measures will be effective to prevent violations or perceived violations of law or ethical business practices.

Subject to the realization of various conditions and factors, we may have to record, in the future, asset impairment charges, which could be material and could adversely affect our future reported results of operations and equity.

We have recorded in the past asset impairment charges which, in some cases, have been material. Subject to the realization of various factors, including, but not limited to, weak economic or market conditions, we may be required to record in the future, in accordance with IFRS accounting valuation principles, additional non-cash impairment charges if the carrying value of an asset in our financial statements is in excess of its recoverable value. Any such asset impairment charge could be material and may adversely affect our future reported results of operations and equity, although such charges would not affect our cash flow.

We undertake acquisitions, dispositions, business combinations, or joint ventures from time to time which may involve significant risks and uncertainties.

From time to time, we engage in discussions and activities with respect to possible acquisitions, dispositions, business combinations, or joint ventures intended to complement or expand our business, some of which may be significant transactions for us and involve significant risks and uncertainties. We may not realize the anticipated benefit from any of the transactions we pursue, and may have difficulty incorporating or integrating any acquired business. Regardless of whether we consummate any such transaction, the negotiation of a potential transaction (including associated litigation), as well as the integration of any acquired business, could require us to incur significant costs and cause diversion of management’s time and resources and disrupt our business operations. We could face several challenges in the consolidation and integration of information technology, accounting systems, personnel and operations.

If we determine to sell individual properties or other assets or businesses, we will benefit from the net proceeds realized from such sales. However, our revenues may suffer in the long term due to the disposition of a revenue generating asset, or the timing of such dispositions may be poor, causing us to fail to realize the full value of the disposed asset, all of which may diminish our ability to repay our indebtedness at maturity.

Any of the foregoing could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, operating results, liquidity, and prospects.

The competition for retail locations and the consolidation of independent retailers may adversely affect the customer reach of our telecommunications business’ sale network.

The competition to offer products in the best available retail commercial spaces is fierce in the telecommunications business. Some of our telecommunications business’ competitors have pursued a strategy of selling their products through independent retailers to extend their presence on the market and some of our competitors have also acquired certain independent retailers and created new distribution networks. This could result in limiting the customer reach of our retail network and may contribute to isolate us from our competitors, which could have an adverse effect on our business, prospects and results of operations.

Risks Relating to Regulation

We are subject to extensive government regulation and policy-making. Changes in government regulation or policies could adversely affect our business, financial condition, prospects and results of operations.

Our operations are subject to extensive government regulation and policy-making in Canada. Laws and regulations govern the issuance, amendment, renewal, transfer, suspension, revocation and ownership of broadcast

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programming and distribution licenses. With respect to distribution, regulations govern, among other things, the distribution of Canadian and non-Canadian programming services and the maximum fees to be charged to the public in certain circumstances. Although the federal government eliminated the foreign ownership restrictions on telecommunications companies with less than 10 percent of total Canadian telecommunications market revenues, there are significant restrictions on the ability of non-Canadian entities to own or control broadcasting licenses and telecommunications carriers in Canada. Our broadcasting distribution and telecommunications operations (including Internet access service) are regulated respectively by the Broadcasting Act (Canada) (the “ Broadcasting Act ”) and the Telecommunications Act and regulations thereunder. The CRTC, which administers the Broadcasting Act and the Telecommunications Act, has the power to grant, amend, suspend, revoke and renew broadcasting licenses, approve certain changes in corporate ownership and control, and make regulations and policies in accordance with the Broadcasting Act and the Telecommunications Act, subject to certain directions from the federal cabinet. For instance, the CRTC introduced recently some form of rate regulation following its commonly referred to as “Lets talk TV” public consultation on television broadcasting and distribution. Consequently, we must offer a reduced basic service at $25 since March 1, 2016 and offer all specialty services “à la carte”, since December 1, 2016. Moreover, the CRTC adopted a Wireless Code which regulates numerous aspects of the provision of retail wireless services and, coming into effect September 1, 2017, a new Television Service Provider Code which will regulate numerous aspects of the provisions of retail television services. Our wireless and cable operations are also subject to technical requirements, license conditions and performance standards under the Radiocommunication Act (Canada) (the “ Radiocommunication Act ”), which is administered by ISED.

In addition, laws relating to communications, data protection, e-commerce, direct marketing and digital advertising and the use of public records have become more prevalent in recent years. Existing and proposed legislation and regulations, including changes in the manner in which such legislation and regulations are interpreted by courts in Canada, the United States and other jurisdictions may impose limits on our collection and use of certain kinds of information. Furthermore, the CRTC and ISED have the power to impose monetary sanctions for failure to comply with current regulations. For a more extensive description of the regulatory environment affecting our business, see “Item 4. Information on the Corporation – Regulation”.

Changes to the laws, regulations and policies governing our operations, the introduction of new laws, regulations, policies or terms of license, the issuance of new licenses, including additional spectrum licenses to our competitors or changes in the treatment of the tax deductibility of advertising expenditures could have an impact on our customer buying practices and/or a material adverse effect on our business (including how we provide products and services), financial condition, prospects and results of operations. In addition, we may incur increased costs in order to comply with existing and newly adopted laws and regulations or penalties for any failure to comply. It is difficult to predict in what form laws and regulations will be adopted or how they will be construed by the relevant courts or the extent to which any changes might adversely affect us.

We may be adversely affected if we do not qualify for government programs or if such programs do not constitute sufficient incentives to producers.

We take advantage of several government programs designed to support production and distribution of televisual and cinematographic products and magazine publishing in Canada, including federal and provincial refundable tax credits. There can be no assurance that the local cultural incentive programs which we may access in Canada will continue to be available in the future or will not be reduced, amended or eliminated. Any future reductions or other changes in the policies or rules of application in Canada or in any of its provinces in connection with these government incentive programs, including any change in the Québec or the federal programs providing for refundable tax credits, could increase the cost of acquiring and producing Canadian programs which are required to be broadcast and which could have a material adverse effect on our financial condition and results of operations. Canadian content programming is also subject to certification by various agencies of the federal government. If programming fails to so qualify, we would not be able to use the programs to meet Canadian content programming obligations and might not qualify for certain Canadian tax credits and government incentives.

To ensure that we maintain minimum levels of Canadian ownership under the Broadcasting Act and other legislation under which it derives the benefit of tax credits and industry incentives, we have placed constraints on the issuance and transfer of the shares of certain of our subsidiaries.

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In addition, the Canadian and provincial governments currently provide grants and incentives to attract foreign producers and support domestic film and television production. Many of the major studios and other key customers of our Film Production & Audiovisual Services Business (as defined in this annual report), as well as content producers for our television broadcasting and production operations, finance a portion of their production budgets through Canadian government incentive programs, including federal and provincial tax credits. There can be no assurance that the government grants and incentive programs presently being offered to participants in the film and television production industry will continue at their present levels or at all. If such grants or incentives are reduced or discontinued, the level of activity in the motion picture and television industries may be reduced, as a result of which our results of operations and financial condition might be adversely affected.

The successful tax credit model of Québec and other provinces in Canada has been copied by other jurisdictions around the world, including by many states in the United States of America. Some producers may select locations other than Québec to take advantage of tax credit programs they may conclude to be more or as attractive as those Québec offers. Other factors, such as director or star preference, may also have the effect of productions being shot in a location other than Québec and may therefore have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.

ISED may not renew Videotron’s mobile spectrum licenses on acceptable terms, or at all.

Videotron’s AWS-1 licenses were issued in December 2008 for a 10-year term. AWS-1 license renewal, including whether license fees should apply for a subsequent license term, will be the subject of a public consultation process expected to be initiated in the coming months.

Videotron’s other spectrum licenses, including in the AWS-3, 700MHz and 2500MHz bands, are issued for 20-year terms from their respective dates of issuance. At the end of those respective terms, applications may be made for new licenses for a subsequent term through a renewal process, unless a breach of license condition by Videotron has occurred, a fundamental reallocation of spectrum to a new service is required, or in the event that an overriding policy need arises. The process for issuing or renewing licenses, including the terms and conditions of the new licenses and whether license fees should apply for a subsequent license term, are expected to be determined by ISED following public consultations.

If, at the end of their respective term, our licenses are not renewed on acceptable terms, or at all, our ability to continue to offer our wireless services, or to offer new services, may be negatively impacted and, consequently, it could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, prospects, and results of operations.

We are required to provide third-party ISPs with access to our cable systems, which may result in increased competition.

The largest cable operators in Canada, including Videotron, have been required by the CRTC to provide third-party ISPs with access to their cable systems at mandated cost-based rates. Several third-party ISPs are interconnected to our cable network and are thereby providing retail Internet access services.

In a decision issued on July 22, 2015, the CRTC ordered substantial changes to the framework for the provision of wholesale services to third-party ISPs. The provision of aggregated services will no longer be mandated and will be phased out in conjunction with the implementation of a new mandatory disaggregated service which will involve third-party ISPs provisioning their own regional transport services. This disaggregated service will also include, for the first time, mandated access to high-speed services provided over fibre-access facilities, including the fibre-access facilities of the large incumbent telephone companies. A tariff proceeding is under way to set the rates for this new disaggregated wholesale service. In parallel, on October 6, 2016, the CRTC ordered a significant interim reduction to the tariff rates for the existing aggregated wholesale service. A second tariff proceeding is under way to set revised final rates for the aggregated service while work moves forward on implementing the disaggregated service. As a result of these proceedings, we may experience increased competition for retail cable Internet and telephony customers. In addition, because our third-party Internet access rates are regulated by the CRTC, we could be limited in our ability to recover our costs associated with providing this access.

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We are subject to a variety of environmental laws and regulations.

We are subject to a variety of environmental laws and regulations. Some of our facilities are subject to federal, provincial, state and municipal laws and regulations concerning, for example, emissions to the air, water and sewer discharge, the handling and disposal of hazardous materials and waste, recycling, soil remediation of contaminated sites, or otherwise relating to the protection of the environment. In addition, laws and regulations relating to workplace safety and worker health, which, among other things, regulate employee exposure to hazardous substances in the workplace, also govern our operations. Failure to comply with present or future laws or regulations could result in substantial liability for us.

Environmental laws and regulations and their interpretation have changed rapidly in recent years and may continue to do so in the future. For instance, most Canadian provinces have recently implemented Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) regulations in order to encourage sustainability practices such as the “Ecological recovery and reclamation of electronic products”, which sets certain recovery targets and which may require us to monitor and adjust our practices in the future.

Our properties, as well as areas surrounding those properties, particularly those in areas of long-term industrial use, may have had historic uses, or may have current uses, in the case of surrounding properties, which may affect our properties and require further study or remedial measures. We cannot provide assurance that all environmental liabilities have been determined, that any prior owner of our properties did not create a material environmental condition not known to us, that a material environmental condition does not otherwise exist on any of our properties, or that expenditure will not be required to deal with known or unknown contamination.

We own, through one of our subsidiaries, certain studios and vacant lots, some of which are located on a former landfill, with the presence of gas-emitting waste. As a result, the operation and ownership of these studios and vacant lots carries an inherent risk of environmental and health and safety liabilities for personal injuries, property damage, release of hazardous materials, remediation and clean-up costs and other environmental damages (including potential civil actions, compliance or remediation orders, fines and other penalties), and may result in being involved from time to time in administrative and judicial proceedings relating to such matters, which could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.

Concerns about alleged health risks relating to radiofrequency emissions may adversely affect our business.

All our cell sites comply with applicable laws and we rely on our suppliers to ensure that the network equipment and customer equipment supplied to us meets all applicable regulatory and safety requirements. Nevertheless, some studies have alleged links between radiofrequency emissions from certain wireless devices and cell sites and various health problems, or possible interference with electronic medical devices, including hearing aids and pacemakers. There is no definitive evidence of harmful effects from exposure to radiofrequency emissions when the limits imposed by applicable laws and regulations are complied with. Additional studies of radiofrequency emissions are ongoing and there is no certainty as to the results of any such future studies.

The current concerns over radiofrequency emissions or perceived health risks of exposure to radiofrequency emissions could lead to additional governmental regulation, diminished use of wireless services, including Videotron’s, or product liability lawsuits that might arise or have arisen. Any of these could have a material adverse effect on our business, prospects, revenues, financial condition and results of operations. Videotron is currently a defendant, along with all other major wireless providers in Québec, in an authorization demand for a class action on this particular concern.

Risks Relating to our Senior Notes and our Capital Structure

Our indebtedness and significant interest payment requirements could adversely affect our financial condition and therefore make it more difficult for us to fulfill our obligations, including our obligations under our Senior Notes.

We currently have a substantial amount of debt and significant interest payment requirements. As at December 31, 2016, we had $ 5.66 billion of consolidated long-term debt (long-term debt plus bank indebtedness). Our indebtedness could have significant consequences, including the following:

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Although we have significant indebtedness, as at December 31, 2016, we had approximately $1.21  billion available for additional borrowings under our existing credit facilities on a consolidated basis, and the indentures governing our outstanding Senior Notes would permit us to incur substantial additional indebtedness in the future. If we or our subsidiaries incur additional debt, the risks we now face as a result of our leverage could intensify. For more information regarding our long-term debt and its maturities, refer to Note 19 to our audited consolidated financial statements for the year ended December 31, 2016 included under “Item 18. Financial Statements” of this annual report. See also the risk factor “— Restrictive covenants in our outstanding debt instruments may reduce our operating and financial flexibility, which may prevent us from capitalizing on certain business opportunities.”

Restrictive covenants in our outstanding debt instruments may reduce our operating and financial flexibility, which may prevent us from capitalizing on certain business opportunities.

Our credit facilities and the respective indentures governing our Senior Notes contain a number of operating and financial covenants restricting our ability to, among other things:

If we are unable to comply with these covenants and are unable to obtain waivers from our creditors, we would be unable to make additional borrowings under our credit facilities, our indebtedness under these agreements would be in default and that could, if not cured or waived, result in an acceleration of such indebtedness and cause cross-defaults under our other debt, including our Senior Notes. If our indebtedness is accelerated, we may not be able to repay our indebtedness or borrow sufficient funds to refinance it, and any such prepayment or refinancing could adversely affect our financial condition. In addition, if we incur additional debt in the future or refinance existing debt, we may be subject to additional covenants, which may be more restrictive than those to which we are currently subject. Even if we are able to comply with all applicable covenants, the restrictions on our ability to manage our business in our sole discretion could adversely affect our business by, among other things, limiting our ability to take advantage of financings, mergers, acquisitions and other corporate opportunities that we believe would be beneficial to us.

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We are a holding corporation and depend on our subsidiaries to generate sufficient cash flow to meet our debt service obligations, including payments on our Senior Notes.

We are a holding corporation and a substantial portion of our assets is the capital stock of our subsidiaries. As a holding corporation, we conduct substantially all of our business through our subsidiaries, which generate substantially all of our revenues. Consequently, our cash flow and ability to service our debt obligations, including our outstanding Senior Notes, are dependent on the cash flow of our existing and future subsidiaries and the distribution of this cash flow to us, or on loans, advances or other payments made by these entities to us. The ability of these entities to pay dividends or make loans, advances or payments to us will depend on their operating results and will be subject to applicable laws and contractual restrictions contained in the instruments governing their debt. Videotron has several series of debt securities outstanding and both Videotron and TVA Group have credit facilities that limit their ability to distribute cash to us. In addition, if our existing or future subsidiaries incur additional debt in the future or refinance existing debt, we may be subject to additional contractual restrictions contained in the instruments governing that debt, which may be more restrictive than those to which we are currently subject.

The ability of our subsidiaries to generate sufficient cash flow from operations to allow us to make scheduled payments on our debt obligations will depend on their future financial performance, which will be affected by a range of economic, competitive and business factors as well as structural changes, many of which are outside of our or their control. If the cash flow and earnings of our operating subsidiaries and the amount that they are able to distribute to us, as dividends or otherwise, are not sufficient for us, we may not be able to satisfy our debt obligations. If we are unable to satisfy our debt obligations, we may have to undertake alternative financing plans, such as refinancing or restructuring our debt, selling assets, reducing or delaying capital investments, or seeking to raise additional capital. We can provide no assurance that any such alternative refinancing would be possible; that any assets could be sold, or, if sold, the timing of the sales and the amount of proceeds realized from those sales; that additional financing could be obtained on acceptable terms, if at all, or that additional financing would be permitted under the terms of our various debt instruments then in effect. Our inability to generate sufficient cash flow to satisfy our debt obligations, or to refinance these obligations on commercially reasonable terms, could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects.

We may be required from time to time to refinance certain of our indebtedness. Our inability to do so on favorable terms, or at all, could have a material adverse effect on us.

We may be required from time to time to refinance certain of our existing debt at or prior to maturity. Our ability and our subsidiaries’ ability to obtain additional financing to repay such existing debt at maturity will depend upon a number of factors, including prevailing market conditions, credit availability and our operating performance. There can be no assurance that any such financing will be available to us on favorable terms or at all. See also the risk factor “— The volatility and disruptions in the capital and credit markets could adversely affect our business, including the cost of new capital, our ability to refinance our scheduled debt maturities and meet our other obligations as they become due.”

There is no public market for our Senior Notes.

There is currently no established trading market for our issued and outstanding Senior Notes and we do not intend to apply for listing of any of our Senior Notes on any securities exchange or to arrange for any quotation on any automated dealer quotation systems. No assurance can be given as to the prices or liquidity of, or trading markets for, any series of our Senior Notes. The liquidity of any market for our Senior Notes will depend upon the number of holders of our Senior Notes, the interest of securities dealers in making a market in our Senior Notes, applicable regulations, prevailing interest rates, the market for similar securities and other factors, including general economic conditions, our financial condition and performance and our prospects. The absence of an active market for our Senior Notes could adversely affect their market price and liquidity.

In addition, the market for non-investment grade debt has historically been subject to disruptions that have caused volatility in prices of securities. It is possible that the market for our Senior Notes will be subject to such disruptions. Any such disruptions may have a negative effect on a holder’s ability to sell our Senior Notes, regardless of our prospects and financial performance.

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We may not be able to finance an offer to purchase our Senior Notes in the event of a change of control as required by the respective indentures governing our Senior Notes because we may not have sufficient funds at the time of the change of control or our credit facilities may not allow the repurchases.

If we experience a change of control, as that term is defined in the respective indentures governing our Senior Notes, we may be required to make an offer to repurchase all of our Senior Notes prior to maturity. We can provide no assurance that we will have sufficient funds or be able to arrange for additional financing to repurchase our Senior Notes following such change of control. There is no sinking fund with respect to our outstanding Senior Notes.

In addition, a change of control would be an event of default under our credit facilities. Any future credit agreement or other agreements relating to our indebtedness to which we become a party may contain similar provisions. Our failure to repurchase our Senior Notes if required upon a change of control would, pursuant to the terms of the respective indentures governing our outstanding Senior Notes, constitute an event of default under such indentures. Any such default could, in turn, constitute an event of default under future indebtedness, any of which may cause the related debt to be accelerated after the expiry of any applicable notice or grace periods. If debt were to be accelerated, we may not have sufficient funds to repurchase our Senior Notes and repay the debt.

Canadian bankruptcy and insolvency laws may impair the trustees’ ability to enforce remedies under the indentures governing our Senior Notes or the Senior Notes themselves.

The rights of the trustees, who represent the holders of our Senior Notes, to enforce remedies could be delayed by the restructuring provisions of applicable Canadian federal bankruptcy, insolvency and other restructuring legislation if the benefit of such legislation is sought with respect to us. For example, both the Bankruptcy and Insolvency Act (Canada) (the “ BIA ”) and the Companies’ Creditors Arrangement Act (Canada) (the “ CCAA ”) contain provisions enabling an insolvent person to obtain a stay of proceedings against its creditors and to file a proposal to be voted on by the various classes of its affected creditors. A restructuring proposal, if accepted by the requisite majorities of each affected class of creditors, and if approved by the relevant Canadian court, would be binding on all creditors within each affected class, including those creditors that did not vote to accept the proposal. Moreover, this legislation, in certain instances, permits the insolvent debtor to retain possession and administration of its property, subject to court oversight, even though it may be in default under the applicable debt instrument, during the period that the stay against proceedings remains in place. In addition, it may be possible in certain circumstances to restructure certain debt obligations under the corporate governing statute applicable to the debtor.

The powers of the court under the BIA, and particularly under the CCAA, have been interpreted and exercised broadly so as to protect a restructuring entity from actions taken by creditors and other parties. Accordingly, we cannot predict whether payments under our outstanding Senior Notes would be made during any proceedings in bankruptcy, insolvency or other restructuring, whether or when the trustees could exercise their respective rights under the respective indentures governing each series of our Senior Notes or whether and to what extent holders of our Senior Notes would be compensated for any delays in payment, if any, of principal, interest and costs, including the fees and disbursements of the respective trustees.

Non-U.S. holders of our Senior Notes are subject to restrictions on the transfer or resale of our Senior Notes.

Although we have registered certain series of our Senior Notes under the Securities Act, we did not, and we do not intend to, qualify our Senior Notes by prospectus in Canada, and, accordingly, the Senior Notes remain subject to restrictions on resale and transfer in Canada. In addition, non-U.S. holders remain subject to restrictions imposed by the jurisdiction in which the holder is resident.

U.S. investors in our Senior Notes may have difficulties enforcing civil liabilities.

We are incorporated under the laws of the Province of Québec. Substantially all of our directors, controlling persons and officers are residents of Canada or other jurisdictions outside the United States, and all or a substantial portion of their assets and substantially all of our assets are located outside the United States. We have agreed, in accordance with the terms of the respective indentures governing each series of our Senior Notes (other than our Canadian-dollar denominated Senior Notes), to accept service of process in any suit, action or proceeding with respect to the indentures or such Senior Notes brought in any federal or state court located in New York City by an agent designated

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for such purpose, and to submit to the jurisdiction of such courts in connection with such suits, actions or proceedings. However, it may be difficult for holders of our Senior Notes to effect service of process within the United States upon directors, controlling persons, officers and experts who are not residents of the United States or to enforce against us or them in the United States upon judgments of courts of the United States predicated upon civil liability under United States federal or state securities laws or other laws of the United States. In addition, there is doubt as to the enforceability in Canada of liabilities predicated solely upon United States federal or state securities laws against us or against our directors, controlling persons, officers and experts who are not residents of the United States, in original actions or in actions for enforcement of judgments of courts of the United States.

Although our Senior Notes are referred to as “senior notes,” they are effectively subordinated to our secured indebtedness and structurally subordinated to the liabilities of our subsidiaries.

Our Senior Notes are unsecured and, therefore, are effectively subordinated to any secured indebtedness that we may incur to the extent of the assets securing such indebtedness. In the event of a bankruptcy or similar proceeding involving us, the assets that serve as collateral for any secured indebtedness will be available to satisfy the obligations under the secured indebtedness before any payments are made on the Senior Notes. The Senior Notes are effectively subordinated to any borrowings under our credit facilities. In addition, our credit facilities and the respective indentures governing our Senior Notes permit us to incur additional secured indebtedness in the future, which could be significant.

Our subsidiaries do not guarantee the Senior Notes and have no obligation, contingent or otherwise, to pay amounts due under the Senior Notes or to make any funds available to pay those amounts, whether by dividend, distribution, loan or other payment. Holders of Senior Notes do not have a claim as a creditor against our subsidiaries. The Senior Notes are, therefore, structurally subordinated to all indebtedness and other obligations of our subsidiaries. In the event of insolvency, liquidation, reorganization, dissolution or other winding up of any such subsidiary, all of such subsidiary’s creditors (including trade creditors) would be entitled to payment in full out of such subsidiary’s assets before the holders of our Senior Notes would be entitled to any payment.