SaskTel delivers faster High Speed Internet service to 11 communities

March 31, 2010

As part of the Rural Infrastructure Program, SaskTel High Speed Internet customers in 11 communities are receiving higher download speeds after a recent upgrade. SaskTel has increased the maximum download speed in those communities from 1.5 megabits per second (Mbps) to 5 Mbps. Customers began receiving the higher speeds automatically and High Speed Internet charges will not increase as a result of this upgrade.

The affected communities are:  Frontier, Grenfell, Gull Lake, Kipling, Langenburg, Milestone, Pense, Regina Beach, Sedley, Strasbourg and Vibank.

This upgrade is part of a larger initiative to upgrade 210 High Speed Internet Basic communities from 1.5 Mbps to 5 Mbps by the end of 2010. SaskTel will make announcements regarding additional upgrade locations as they are completed.

“SaskTel continues to add value for Saskatchewan residents with capital investments and service improvements,” said Don Morgan, Minister Responsible for SaskTel. “Customers in these communities can expect an enhanced internet experience as a result of this upgrade.”

“SaskTel offers high speed Internet service to approximately 99 percent of the Saskatchewan population,” said Robert Watson, SaskTel President and CEO. “Now we’re pleased to offer improved service in rural communities across the province to give our customers even better High Speed Internet access.”

About SaskTel

Saskatchewan Telecommunications Holding Corporation (SaskTel) is the leading full service communications provider in Saskatchewan, with $1.138 billion in annual revenue and over 1.3 million customer connections including over 510,000 wireless accesses, 555,000 wireline network accesses, 216,000 internet accesses and 76,000 Max™ (TV) subscribers.  SaskTel offers a wide range of communications products and services including competitive voice, data, internet, entertainment, national security, messaging, cellular, wireless data and directory services. In addition, SaskTel International offers software solutions and project consulting in countries around the world.  In 2008, SaskTel contributed over $610 million to the Saskatchewan economy through dollars spent with Saskatchewan-based suppliers and sponsorships to non-profit organizations.  SaskTel and its wholly-owned subsidiaries have a workforce of approximately 5,000 employees.

For more information, please contact:

Andy Tate, SaskTel Media Relations
Phone: (306) 777-4548
Email: andy.tate@sasktel.com