SaskTel
Encyclopedia
Saskatchewan Telecommunications (SaskTel) is a provincial Crown Corporation operating under the authority of the Saskatchewan
Telecommunications Act. It is the only remaining Crown Corporation in the Canadian telecommunications industry.
SaskTel provides telecommunications services to 13 cities, 535 smaller communities and surrounding rural areas, including 49,000 farms. The corporation has over 425,000 business and residential customers, and has a work force of approximately 5,000 employees throughout the province and in its wholly owned subsidiaries. SaskTel's head office is located in Regina, Saskatchewan
.
SaskTel is the primary asset and wholly owned subsidiary of a holding company, the Saskatchewan Telecommunications Holding Corporation, which manages assets of approximately $1.2 billion.
In October 2008, SaskTel was named one of Canada's Top 100 Employers
for the ninth consecutive year by MediaCorp Canada Inc., and was featured in Maclean's
newsmagazine. Later that month, SaskTel was named one of Saskatchewan's Top Employers
, which was announced by the Saskatoon StarPhoenix and Regina Leader-Post
newspapers. In April 2009, MediaCorp also named SaskTel one of Canada's Greenest Employers.
While SaskTel oversees the corporation's core telecommunications business, the following business units have diversified into other services, products, and markets:
On January 2, 2011 Fleetnet 800 Trunked Radio Service, used by the province's first responders, and Analog Cellular services were turned down.
Saskatchewan
Saskatchewan is a prairie province in Canada, which has an area of . Saskatchewan is bordered on the west by Alberta, on the north by the Northwest Territories, on the east by Manitoba, and on the south by the U.S. states of Montana and North Dakota....
Telecommunications Act. It is the only remaining Crown Corporation in the Canadian telecommunications industry.
SaskTel provides telecommunications services to 13 cities, 535 smaller communities and surrounding rural areas, including 49,000 farms. The corporation has over 425,000 business and residential customers, and has a work force of approximately 5,000 employees throughout the province and in its wholly owned subsidiaries. SaskTel's head office is located in Regina, Saskatchewan
Regina, Saskatchewan
Regina is the capital city of the Canadian province of Saskatchewan. The city is the second-largest in the province and a cultural and commercial centre for southern Saskatchewan. It is governed by Regina City Council. Regina is the cathedral city of the Roman Catholic and Romanian Orthodox...
.
SaskTel is the primary asset and wholly owned subsidiary of a holding company, the Saskatchewan Telecommunications Holding Corporation, which manages assets of approximately $1.2 billion.
In October 2008, SaskTel was named one of Canada's Top 100 Employers
Canada's Top 100 Employers
Canada's Top 100 Employers is an annual competition that recognizes the best places in Canada to work. First held in 1999, the project aims to single out the employers that lead their industries in offering exceptional working conditions and progressive human resources policies. Winners are...
for the ninth consecutive year by MediaCorp Canada Inc., and was featured in Maclean's
Maclean's
Maclean's is a Canadian weekly news magazine, reporting on Canadian issues such as politics, pop culture, and current events.-History:Founded in 1905 by Toronto journalist/entrepreneur Lt.-Col. John Bayne Maclean, a 43-year-old trade magazine publisher who purchased an advertising agency's in-house...
newsmagazine. Later that month, SaskTel was named one of Saskatchewan's Top Employers
Saskatchewan's Top Employers
Saskatchewan's Top Employers is an annual competition that recognizes the best places to work in Saskatchewan. Published annually since October 2005, the designation singles out the employers in the province that lead their industries in creating forward-thinking workplaces with progressive human...
, which was announced by the Saskatoon StarPhoenix and Regina Leader-Post
Regina Leader-Post
The Regina Leader-Post is the daily newspaper of Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada, and now a member of the Postmedia Network.The newspaper was first published as The Leader in 1883, by Nicholas Flood Davin...
newspapers. In April 2009, MediaCorp also named SaskTel one of Canada's Greenest Employers.
While SaskTel oversees the corporation's core telecommunications business, the following business units have diversified into other services, products, and markets:
- SecurTek provides home and business security systems and monitoring.
- SaskTel InternationalSaskTel InternationalSaskTel International is a wholly owned subsidiary of the crown-owned Canadian telephone company SaskTel. Established in 1986, SaskTel International provides solutions to communication providers on an international scale....
exports network integration, network management, and interactive services outside of Canada. - Hospitality Network Canada Inc. (HNCI) is a provider of hospital patient TV and Telephone rental systems and services.
- Direct West publishes print and online directories and provides Web Hosting and Website Design services.
Services
- Local Telephone Service
- Internet and Interactive Services
- Digital TV (SaskTel Max), including high-definition, and DTVR
- Cellular Phones (CDMA/HSPA+/GSM)
- Wireless Data Services
- Wireless Internet
- Telephone and Equipment Rental
- Calling Features and Cards
- Voice Messaging
- Long Distance Plans
- Conferencing Services
- Home and Business Security
- Voice Over IP (VoIP)
- International Consulting, Provisioning, and Software Solutions
- Web Hosting and Website Design
- Print and Online Directories
History
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.On January 2, 2011 Fleetnet 800 Trunked Radio Service, used by the province's first responders, and Analog Cellular services were turned down.
Technological and service advances
- In 1984, SaskTel completed the world's longest commercial fibre optic system, 3,268 kilometres.
- In 1988, it developed the first fibre/coaxial hybrid network with pick-and-play Video-On-Demand.
- In 1994, it completed the installation and commissioning of telecommunications and control systems for the English Chunnel project.
- In 2002, it was the first to commercially deploy Internet Protocol (IP) video over digital subscriber line (DSL).
- In 2006, it was the first North American company to offer HDTVHigh-definition televisionHigh-definition television is video that has resolution substantially higher than that of traditional television systems . HDTV has one or two million pixels per frame, roughly five times that of SD...
channels over an IPTVIPTVInternet Protocol television is a system through which television services are delivered using the Internet protocol suite over a packet-switched network such as the Internet, instead of being delivered through traditional terrestrial, satellite signal, and cable television formats.IPTV services...
service - In 2009, SaskTel began construction of a new $172 million Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS) / High Speed Packet Access (HSPA+)High Speed Packet AccessHigh Speed Packet Access is an amalgamation of two mobile telephony protocols, High Speed Downlink Packet Access and High Speed Uplink Packet Access , that extends and improves the performance of existing WCDMA protocols...
wireless network, which would give Sasktel a 3G+ Network and hold 98% of the population of SaskatchewanSaskatchewanSaskatchewan is a prairie province in Canada, which has an area of . Saskatchewan is bordered on the west by Alberta, on the north by the Northwest Territories, on the east by Manitoba, and on the south by the U.S. states of Montana and North Dakota....
under its coverage. - In 2010, SaskTel, activated their new HSPA+ network. Coverage started with major cities and towns and will continue to expand throughout the province, finishing by the end of 2011.
- In 2011, SaskTel will begin rolling out the SaskTel Fiber Optic Network. This investment in infrastructure will bring internet speeds exceeding 200Mbps and multiple MAX HD Streams.