Today, SaskTel and the University of Regina announced they have partnered to be the first in Canada to deploy a new wireless technology, which is manufactured by Huawei Technologies. The technology is known in the industry as HetNet (Heterogeneous Networks) and was installed in the Kinesiology building and Riddell Centre at the University.

The HetNet architecture consists of a variety of technologies and frequencies in various locations that work together to deliver a high quality user experience. To achieve this, SaskTel utilized world-class Long-Term Evolution (LTE) products known as Microcell and Lampsite, both manufactured by Huawei Technologies. Both "small cell" products have been leveraged to provide deep penetration indoor, high capacity LTE coverage speeds of up to 150 Mbps. Although small cell products have already been commercially deployed in some other countries around the world, this is the first successful commercial deployment of the Huawei Lampsite product in Canada.

"This technology is the first of its kind in Canada and is being deployed to meet increasing demand for robust and reliable wireless service at the University of Regina," said Ron Styles, SaskTel President and CEO. "By working with the University of Regina to implement the HetNet technology we are able to demonstrate both our organizations' commitment to being future focused."

A major benefit of the project was the engagement and mentoring of graduate students in the University's Faculty of Engineering and Applied Science by SaskTel's technology experts. Working together with SaskTel employees throughout the entire process, from the design and implementation to the ongoing optimization and support stage, the students gained invaluable industry expertise with cutting-edge network infrastructure. In addition, SaskTel employees had the opportunity to further develop leadership skills while showcasing the company's commitment to remaining at the forefront of launching next-generation technology.

"The University is committed to working with community partners to provide our students with experiential learning opportunities, and this work is a wonderful example of how that commitment can benefit everyone involved," said University of Regina President and Vice-Chancellor, Dr. Vianne Timmons. "Partnering with industry experts has provided a tremendous learning opportunity for our engineering students, benefited our entire campus by enhancing our wireless technology infrastructure, and provided SaskTel with the opportunity to work with the next generation of technological innovators in our province."

"SaskTel continues to demonstrate global leadership in deploying the latest and greatest wireless technologies," said Sean Yang, President of Huawei Canada. "Bringing next generation wireless solutions to the students and faculty at the University of Regina highlights SaskTel's dedication to developing provincial infrastructure, while ensuring students are able to learn using the technology of tomorrow. We are proud to be a part of such a great initiative."

About SaskTel
SaskTel is the leading Information and Communications Technology (ICT) provider in Saskatchewan, with over $1.2 billion in annual revenue and over 1.4 million customer connections including over 618,000 wireless accesses, 437,000 wireline network accesses, 258,000 Internet accesses and over 103,000 maxTV™ subscribers. SaskTel and its wholly-owned subsidiaries offer a wide range of ICT products and services including competitive voice, data and Internet services, wireless data services,maxTV services, data centre services, cloud-based services, security monitoring services, advertising services, and international software and consulting services. SaskTel and its wholly-owned subsidiaries have a workforce of approximately 4,000 full-time equivalent employees (FTEs). Visit SaskTel at www.sasktel.com.

About U of R
The University of Regina is home to 10 faculties and 25 academic departments which have established reputations for excellence and innovative programs leading to bachelor's, master's, and doctoral degrees. In Fall 2015, approximately 14,400 full-time and part-time undergraduate and graduate students enrolled at the University and its federated colleges.

About Huawei Canada
Huawei is a leading global information and communications technology (ICT) solutions provider. Huawei's 170,000 employees worldwide are committed to creating maximum value for telecom operators, enterprises and consumers. Our innovative ICT solutions, products and services have been deployed in over 170 countries and regions, serving more than one third of the world's population. Founded in 1987, Huawei is a private company fully owned by its employees, and was recently name by Interbrand as one of the world's top 100 brands – the first Chinese company to receive this recognition.

Huawei Canada has been in operation since 2008. Huawei's innovative wireless products and services support many of Canada's leading telecommunications companies, and Huawei's Canada Research Centre in Kanata, Ontario is a national leader in advanced communications technologies. We are proud to be a key part of Canada's ICT Ecosystem.

For media inquiries only, please contact:

Tara Tibeau, SaskTel Manager of External Communication
306-777-4548
tara.tibeau@sasktel.com

Everett Dorma, Public Affairs Strategist
306-337-8451
Everett.Dorma@uregina.ca

Scott Bradley, Vice-President Corporate and Government Affairs, Huawei Canada
613-595-1900 ext. 1400
scott.bradley@huawei.com