Northern Saskatchewan to gain improved internet from $3.7 m investment by SaskTel

SaskTel has announced that hundreds of residents in Northern Saskatchewan will soon have access to faster internet services thanks to a joint investment of $3.7 million from SaskTel and the Government of Canada.

“Improving the availability of advanced broadband services throughout the province is a key priority of our government,” said Don Morgan, Minister Responsible for SaskTel . “We are pleased that this investment will improve critical infrastructure for our residents in Northern Saskatchewan.”

“This partnership will help us improve broadband services and deliver faster internet speeds for hundreds of Northern Saskatchewan residents so that they may fully participate in the digital world and take advantage of the social, economic and educational opportunities that exist today,” said Doug Burnett, SaskTel President and CEO.

Through this investment, SaskTel will upgrade its broadband infrastructure serving the communities of Black Point, Jeannette Lake, Michel Village, and Timber Bay allowing it to introduce faster internet packages that meet the CRTC’s 50/10 benchmark. In addition, SaskTel also plans to double the capacity of its backbone network from Points North to Fond du Lac. This added capacity will ensure that residents and businesses in Black Lake, Fond du Lac, and Stony Rapids will be able to fully utilize their internet connection without being slowed by network congestion.

Work will begin in the coming weeks, with all network upgrades expected to be complete by the end of March 2022.

The Government of Canada is providing $2.1 million through its Connect To Innovate program which aims to help build the digital backbone of high-speed internet networks. These backbones are the digital highways that move data in and out of communities and are essential for connecting schools, hospitals, libraries, businesses, and homes to function in the digital world.

SaskTel’s investment is part of its larger commitment to invest $323 million of capital across Saskatchewan in 2021/22 and more than $1.4 billion over the next five years. These investments will ensure that SaskTel customers throughout the province will continue to enjoy some of the best communication and entertainment services in the world.