SaskTel to improve high-speed Internet service in 220 communities

REGINA ? Internet speeds will be faster in 220 communities across Saskatchewan by the end of 2014, SaskTel announced Tuesday.

The communities already have digital subscriber line (DSL) service at five megabits per second (Mbps) but customers will have the choice to upgrade to 10 Mbps. SaskTel currently provides DSL Internet access to 416 communities and First Nations.

DSL provides Internet access by transmitting digital data over the wires of a local telephone network. DSL Internet service is delivered along with wired telephone service on the same telephone line.

This announcement is part of a long-term strategy to give customers in rural Saskatchewan faster online capacity to do business or surf the web.

?Having faster online speed is becoming a necessity, and our government recognizes its responsibility to provide that service to residents of the province,? Don McMorris, minister responsible for SaskTel, said in a press release.

?SaskTel is working to enhance communication options for rural Saskatchewan, and already offers high-speed Internet service to 99 per cent of the Saskatchewan population,? added Ron Styles, president and CEO of SaskTel.

Other initiatives in SaskTel?s rural strategy include $10.7 million allocated to expand the coverage and capacity of SaskTel?s fourth generation (4G) wireless network, which includes 31 new towers and 37 network enhancements.

As well, SaskTel plans to introduce a new long-term evolution (LTE) fixed-wireless product to facilitate broadband access in rural locations pending results of a LTE-TDD (time-division duplex) fixed wireless trial underway and scheduled for completion this summer, SaskTel said.

SaskTel is the leading communications provider in Saskatchewan, with $1.2 billion in annual revenue and over 1.4 million customer connections including over 608,000 wireless accesses, 492,000 wireline network accesses, 250,000 Internet accesses and 97,000 Max TV subscribers. SaskTel and its wholly-owned subsidiaries have a workforce equivalent to 4,000 full-time employees.

Source: http://www.thestarphoenix.com/technology/internet/SaskTel+improve+high+speed+Internet+service/8726759/story.html

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