SaskTel

Type	Crown corporation
Industry	Telecommunications
Founded	June 12, 1908
Headquarters	Regina, Saskatchewan
Key people	Hon. Don McMorris, Minister Responsible for SaskTel Ron Styles, President and CEO Grant Kook, Chair of the Board of Directors
Revenue	$1.1 billion [1]
Employees	4,100
Website	www.sasktel.com

Saskatchewan Telecommunications Holding Corporation (SaskTel) is the leading full service communications provider in Saskatchewan, with $1.1 billion in annual revenue and over 1.4 million customer connections including over 568,000 wireless accesses, 528,000 wireline network accesses, 230,000 internet accesses and 85,000 Max™ (IPTV) subscribers. SaskTel provides communications products and services including 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. SaskTel and its wholly owned subsidiaries have a workforce of approximately 4,100 employees.^{[citation needed]}

Services [edit]

• Local Telephone Service (over POTS or Optical fibre)
• Internet and Interactive Services (Internet over VDSL or Optical fibre)
• Digital TV (SaskTel Max), including high-definition and PVR
• Cellular Phones (CDMA/UMTS/HSPA+/LTE)
• Wireless Data Services
• Wireless Internet (Over Satellite, in alliance and provided by Xplornet)
• Telephone and Equipment Rental
• Calling Features and Cards
• Voice Messaging
• Long Distance Plans
• Conferencing Services
• Home and Business Security
• Voice over IP
• International Consulting, Provisioning, and Software Solutions
• Web Hosting and Website Design
• Print and Online Directories

History [edit]

This section requires expansion with: What was the history after 1912? Please add achievements by DRTT (until 1947) and SGT (1947- ). When was automatic service instituted? What exchanges were manual after most others were converted? When was DDD instituted?. (April 2013)

SaskTel, known from 1947 to the 1980s as Saskatchewan Government Telephones, has its origin in the Department of Railways, Telegraphs and Telephones, which was established on June 12, 1908. On October 1, 1909, the Department expanded its system by purchasing the Bell Telephone Company, the Saskatchewan Telephone Company, and the Wapella-Harris Telephone Company. The newly acquired facilities consisted of 18 telephone exchanges, 53 long-distance offices, and 492 pole miles of long-distance lines. Among the telephone exchanges purchased were those in Estevan, Moose Jaw, North Battleford, Prince Albert, and Regina. In 1911, the Department expanded further with the purchases of Saltcoats District Telephone Company, the North-Western Telephone Company (Saskatoon), and the Swift Current System. On December 1, 1912, Yorkton was added to the provincial telephone system with the purchase of the North West Electric Company.

Technological and service advances [edit]

This section requires expansion with: What events were notable from 1908 to 1984? Manual to automatic switching, tandem use, DDD, etc. See request in History section. (April 2013)

• In 1984, SaskTel completed the world's longest commercial fibre optic system, 3,268 kilometres.^[2]
• In 1988, it developed the first fibre/coaxial hybrid network with pick-and-play Video-On-Demand.^[2]
• In 1994, it completed the installation and commissioning of telecommunications and control systems for the English Channel project.^[3]
• In 2002, it was the first to commercially deploy Internet Protocol (IP) video over digital subscriber line (DSL).^[4]
• In 2006, it was the first North American company to offer HDTV channels over an IPTV service^[5]
• In 2009, SaskTel began construction of a new $172 million Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS) / High Speed Packet Access (HSPA+) wireless network, which would give Sasktel a 3G+ Network and hold 98% of the population of Saskatchewan under its coverage.
• In 2010, SaskTel, activated their new UMTS/HSPA+ network, now referred to as 4G.^[6]
• In 2011, SaskTel announced a 7-year Next Generation Broadband Access Program to deploy Fiber to the Premises in 9 largest centres in Saskatchewan.^[7]
• In 2013, SaskTel activated their LTE cellular network in Saskatoon and Regina, now referred to as 4G LTE.^[8]

References [edit]

External links [edit]

• Official website