REGINA — The Government of Saskatchewan announced today SaskTel will invest an additional $100 million in its Rural Fibre Initiative, which will allow the crown corporation to expand SaskTel infiNET service to over 80 more towns and villages throughout the province.
“This investment will help narrow the digital divide in Saskatchewan by connecting tens of thousands of rural households and businesses to SaskTel’s fibre optic broadband network,” reads a press release.
“Our government is committed to growing Saskatchewan’s economy and improving the quality of life for all people of our province,” said Don Morgan, minister responsible for SaskTel, in the release. “The massive investments being made by SaskTel to expand their fibre optic broadband network across Saskatchewan will help create a more connected and prosperous future for our people, our communities and our province.”
With these added funds, SaskTel has now committed to invest $200 million in its multi-phase Rural Fibre Initiative, which was originally announced in December 2020 and expanded in June 2021. The additional expansion to the program announced today will enable SaskTel to bring infiNET service to a total of more than 110,000 residents and businesses in more than 130 rural communities, according to the government’s press release.
“SaskTel anticipates all communities included in the Rural Fibre Initiative will be fibre-ready by the end of March 2025,” the release says.
“Once we’ve completed these phases of the Rural Fibre Initiative, our infiNET network, which is already the largest fibre optic broadband network in the province, will reach approximately 80 per cent of all Saskatchewan households,” SaskTel president and CEO Doug Burnett said. “This, combined with the significant investments we are making to deploy our 5G wireless network will ensure we remain one of the most well-connected regions in the country while also helping to accelerate Saskatchewan’s transition to becoming a smart province.”
The towns and villages that will receive infiNET service as a result of the additional $100 million investment announced today will be connected as part of phases five and six of the Rural Fibre Initiative, the release explains.
In its own press release, SaskTel lists 34 communities included in phase five of the initiative, and notes it is still finalizing phase six and will announce further details once they have been confirmed.
Phase five includes the communities of Aberdeen, Balcarres, Beauval, Big River, Carnduff, Churchbridge, Cudworth, Delisle, Eston, Grand Coulee, Grenfell, Hague, Hepburn, Herbert, Ituna, Kelvington, Kerrobert, Langenburg, Lashburn, Leader, Maidstone, Milestone, Pense, Pinehouse, Porcupine Plain, Radville, Southey, Spiritwood, Stoughton, Strasbourg, Waldheim, Watson, Wilkie and Wolseley.
Construction is expected to begin in the majority of these communities in 2023/24, according to SaskTel’s release.
