SaskTel announced Monday it plans to use $138.8 million in funding awarded to it from the federal government’s Universal Broadband Fund (UBF) to significantly improve connectivity for residents living in northern Saskatchewan and indigenous communities.
SaskTel has been awarded up to $105 million in UBF money for three fibre and fixed wireless projects that will benefit up to 5,700 households in communities across West Central and Northern Saskatchewan, of which approximately 4,300 are Indigenous households, according to a federal government backgrounder released Monday. A list of the communities to be connected by these projects, along with full project details, will be released at a later date, says a press release from Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada (ISED).
In addition, SaskTel is to receive approximately $22.2 million in federal funding for two all-fibre projects benefitting 976 households in the communities of Deschambault Lake, Ballantyne Bay, Tyrell Lake, Jan Lake, Cumberland House, Cumberland House Cree Nation, and Pemmican Portage.
Furthermore, using an additional $11.6 million in UBF funding, SaskTel says it will construct several new cell towers to bring wireless coverage to Birch Narrows First Nation, Island Lake (Ministikwan Lake Cree Nation), Turnor Lake, and along Highway 106, also known as Hanson Lake Road. These two projects will use a combination of fibre and microwave backbone, and mobile wireless for the last-mile connectivity.
“As Saskatchewan’s homegrown communications leader, we understand how important fast and reliable connectivity is to the overall health and well-being of our customers, especially those living in remote communities,” Charlene Gavel, SaskTel president and CEO, said in the provincial Crown corporation’s press release. “We are pleased to receive funding from the Universal Broadband Fund and look forward to bringing improved connectivity to more residents of our province.”
“The funding from the Universal Broadband Fund will build on SaskTel’s existing investments to enhance its infrastructure, delivering faster Internet service and improved connectivity to residents living in Northern and Indigenous communities,” said Jim Lemaigre, MLA for Athabasca on behalf of Dustin Duncan, minister responsible for SaskTel.
The funding awarded to SaskTel is part of a larger UBF funding announcement Monday in which ISED said a total of up to $160 million was being allocated for projects that will connect 13,700 homes to high-speed internet and provide mobile connectivity along 500 kilometres of roads in Saskatchewan.
Additional UBF funding recipients announced include Access Communications Co-operative Ltd., Advanced Interactive Canada Inc., BH Telecom Corp., Pheasant Rump Nakota First Nation in partnership with Sequorum Inc., and Meadow Lake Tribal Council.
Access Communications has been awarded $4.6 million to connect 2,086 households in 21 communities using microwave backbone and fibre/fixed wireless last-mile connectivity.
Advanced Interactive (Advintive) is receiving $648,805 in funding to connect 285 indigenous households in Saulteaux and Moosomin using fibre backbone and last-mile fixed wireless.
BH Telecom is to receive $10.5 million for an all-fibre project connecting 2,144 households in 21 communities.
Pheasant Rump Nakota First Nation and Sequorum are to receive $189,422 in funding to connect 45 households in the First Nation using microwave backbone and last-mile fixed wireless.
Finally, Meadow Lake Tribal Council has been awarded $5.3 million to connect 2,500 households, of which 2,375 are indigenous, in 13 communities using microwave backbone and fixed wireless for the last mile.
Photo of (l-r) SaskTel president and CEO Charlene Gavel, Minister of Rural Economic Development Gudie Hutchings, and Jim Lemaigre, MLA for Athabasca, courtesy of SaskTel.
