SaskTel on Tuesday announced its planned capital expenditures for its 2024/25 fiscal year, which started April 1, saying it will invest $439.8 million across Saskatchewan this year and more than $2 billion over the next five years.
“In 2024/25, over half of our total capital investments will be used to expand our 5G and fibre broadband networks to rural communities which will allow our customers to enjoy the same level of connectivity as those living in larger urban centres,” Charlene Gavel, SaskTel’s president and CEO, said in a statement.
Specifically, the provincial Crown corporation says it is committed to spending $140.6 million on 5G deployment this fiscal year, which will include the completion of 5G upgrades on nearly 200 cell sites serving rural, resort and First Nations communities as well as major highway corridors and other rural areas. In addition, SaskTel plans to build five new cell sites to enhance wireless coverage and capacity in some urban centres.
SaskTel has earmarked $131.3 million for its fibre-to-the-premises and fibre-to-the-business initiatives (collectively known as FTTx). These investments will facilitate the expansion of SaskTel’s infiNET network to more communities included in its Rural Fibre Initiative, it says. Furthermore, SaskTel says it will work to complete its fibre network builds in Saskatchewan’s nine major urban centres, focusing on connecting multi-dwelling units and businesses to the infiNET network.
An additional $74.7 million will be invested to strengthen SaskTel’s core networks, enhance its selectWi-Fi technology, maintain maxTV infrastructure and improve its access networks, SaskTel says.
Finally, SaskTel plans to invest $93.2 million to improve its customer services and operations. Some of these investments will support the telco’s customer relationship management (CRM) transformation and enhance self-serve options, it says, adding it will also invest in information systems infrastructure to further support frontline areas of the company.
SaskTel’s 2024/25 investments represent an almost $27-million increase over the capital expenditures SaskTel announced for its 2023/24 fiscal year.
Image provided by SaskTel.
