As a social sciences major at the University of Ottawa, Sean McDonald had never expected to work for a telecom company. But 11 years after joining Distributel Communications Limited, McDonald is proud to be part of a company that has staked its reputation on providing affordable internet access to Canadians, no matter where they live.
Shortly after graduating in 2009, McDonald took a job within Distributel’s Ottawa call centre. He steadily worked his way up through more senior roles and is currently a product manager within the company’s marketing group.
In that capacity, McDonald worked on Distributel’s groundbreaking partnership with Cree communities in northern Québec to provide the same level of high-speed internet access as urban Canadians enjoy – at the same prices offered in those markets.
“Distributel has always positioned itself as a better alternative to the bigger telecom companies,” says McDonald. “We value doing the right thing, offering the best products at the best prices, and always putting the customer first. That’s what drew me to the company.”
Distributel, which serves both residential and business clients, is one of Canada’s leading independent telecommunications service providers. The company has long been a strong advocate for increasing competitiveness in the Canadian telecom sector and bridging what is known as the digital divide – the gap between wireless services in urban and rural communities.
That mission took a big step forward in January 2021, when Distributel acquired Primus Telecommunications, another leading independent telecom provider.
“Acquiring Primus materially increases our size and enables us to provide all Canadians with fair prices and even more valuable services,” says Distributel CEO Matt Stein. “We look forward to the strength of our combined team through this acquisition; I can already see that our similar cultures are going to be an incredible fit with each other.”
The company culture is a very purpose-driven one, says Isabelle Leger, Distributel’s director of human resources.
“Our stated purpose is ‘connecting you to the people, passions and priorities that matter’,” she explains. “We pursue this goal by trying every day to live up to our core values, which include doing the right thing, working as a team, challenging the status quo, and possessing relentless curiosity.”
That sense of purpose has only deepened throughout the company’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic, adds Leger.
“As providers of an essential service, we’ve had an even more important role to play, whether it’s helping our business clients operate remotely or allowing our residential customers to stay connected with the people they love.”
When the pandemic struck, Distributel’s first challenge was to migrate its own employees to working from home, something that happened in less than a week.
The company also stepped up efforts to maintain employee engagement and morale. Stein began hosting monthly CEO virtual town halls with all staff, while managers throughout the company were encouraged to regularly reach out to employees on a more individual basis.
“We had always been a very caring company and one that valued twoway, open dialogue,” says Leger. “But working through the pandemic has brought those aspects of our workplace culture even more to the fore.”
Distributel also responded swiftly to the pressures the pandemic placed on its customers, becoming the first Canadian telecommunications company to waive internet data caps and the first to make that move permanent, starting in August 2020.
“Making that transition to unlimited internet is just another example of Distributel doing the right thing for the customer,” says McDonald. “It reaffirms why I’m glad to be working for this company.”
