
SaskTel has announced that rural Saskatchewan is getting another round of wireless upgrades this year to address the ever-growing demand for wireless service. Since April, SaskTel has upgraded the wireless LTE capacity in 19 rural and resort communities and plans to do the same in 35 more communities before the end of summer. By adding LTE network carriers on the towers that serve these communities, SaskTel is increasing the LTE capacity in each of these communities by 20% to 100%.
SaskTel anticipates that the LTE enhancements in the majority of the 35 communities will be completed in time for the Canada Day Long Weekend. While the remaining communities will be upgraded in time for the August Long Weekend. See the attached appendix for a full list of planned and completed upgrades.
“Our government is committed to investing in the future of Saskatchewan,” said Dustin Duncan, Minister Responsible for SaskTel. “Todays announcement is a step forward that ensures the people of rural Saskatchewan have access to the fast and reliable communications services that are required to connect and be successful in todays economy and into the future.”
“We are pleased to enhance our wireless service in these rural and resort communities so that the people living in them or just visiting for the weekend will be able to stay connected to their lives and the people that matter most to them.” said Ron Styles, SaskTel President and CEO.
These upgrades come on the heels of SaskTel’s most ambitious LTE expansion which brought wireless LTE service for the first time to more than 400 towers in rural Saskatchewan in 2016/17 increasing SaskTel’s LTE footprint to cover 99% of the population of the province. The LTE enhancements from this year and the large expansion project from 2016/17 are part of SaskTel’s commitment to invest $1.4 billion of capital in Saskatchewan through 2016-2021.