SaskTel invests $10.2 million to acquire 3800 MHz wireless spectrum as part of its mission to deliver advanced 5G connectivity to customers across Saskatchewan

November 30, 2023

Today, SaskTel announced it has invested $10.2 million to acquire 3800 MHz wireless spectrum licenses covering Saskatchewan. In combination with its existing 5G wireless spectrum holdings, these new airwaves will allow SaskTel to unlock the true power of its 5G network and deliver next-generation connectivity to customers across the province.

“Our government is committed to ensuring the people of Saskatchewan have access to the highest quality communication technologies and networks,” said Dustin Duncan, Minister Responsible for SaskTel. “The significant investments made by SaskTel to acquire these critical airwaves will strengthen their wireless network and support the deployment of innovative new technologies will help build and protect economic prosperity and improve quality of life in our province.”

“Spectrum is the foundation that all wireless networks are built upon and we are pleased to make this investment on behalf of our customers as part of our extensive 5G network rollout,” said Charlene Gavel, SaskTel President and CEO. “The new airwaves we’ve acquired complement our existing 5G spectrum licenses and will ensure our network has the speed and capacity to keep pace with our customer’s evolving needs for years to come.”

Already delivering data speeds reaching up to 1.2 Gbps, SaskTel’s 5G network will get even faster as it deploys the newly acquired 3800 MHz spectrum as well as the 3500 MHz spectrum it obtained in 2021. Additionally, the deployment of these spectrums will significantly increase network capacity allowing for the wider adoption of smart technologies that can support technological advancements in a number of areas, including agriculture, healthcare, education, and transportation to name only a few.

Added Charlene, “Since bringing 5G to Saskatchewan in 2021, our team has worked tirelessly to rapidly expand the network to as many customers as possible. As of today, we’re thrilled to be able to deliver 5G service to more than half the population of our province, including our customers in Regina, Saskatoon, and dozens of other communities throughout Saskatchewan.”

The acquisition of 3800 MHz wireless spectrum is a direct result of SaskTel’s commitment to invest more than $1.6 billion of capital across Saskatchewan over the next five years. These investments will ensure Saskatchewan remains one of the most well-connected province’s in the country.

For more information about SaskTel’s 5G network, visit www.sasktel.com/5g.

About SaskTel

SaskTel is the leading Information and Communications Technology (ICT) provider in Saskatchewan, with approximately $1.3 billion in annual revenue and nearly 1.4 million customer connections including more than 654,000 wireless accesses, 257,000 wireline network accesses, 295,000 internet and data accesses, 111,000 maxTV service subscribers, and 77,000 security monitoring customers. 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 3,300 full-time equivalent employees (FTEs). Visit SaskTel at www.sasktel.com.