The town of Watrous is one of eight communities next on the list for SaskTel’s infiNET service. The high-speed internet service is set to launch in Canora, Carlyle, Carrot River, Fort Qu’Appelle, Hudson Bay, Kamsack, and Lumsden as well. Part of the Crown corporation’s $200 million Rural Fibre Initiative, SaskTel’s infiNET service allows customers to access the latest digital tools and technologies to socialize, learn, pursue economic opportunities, and connect to healthcare and other government services, states a release from the providers. SaskTel anticipates select areas in all eight communities will be fibre-ready by mid-January.
“A fast and reliable broadband connection has become an essential tool in today’s world, especially for those living in rural communities,” said Blaine McLeod, MLA for Lumsden-Morse. "Thanks to this recent expansion, and SaskTel’s larger Rural Fibre Initiative, thousands of families across our province will soon be better equipped to access information online, connect with their network of family and friends, and take advantage of the opportunities the digital economy has to offer.”
“As Saskatchewan’s homegrown communications leader, we are firmly committed to ensuring our customers across the province have access to the communication solutions they need to compete and succeed in the modern world,” said Charlene Gavel, SaskTel President and CEO. “This commitment to our customers is reflected in the significant investments we are making to expand both our 5G and infiNET networks to households and communities across the province.”
The release states that infiNET service delivers internet speeds reaching close to a Gigabit per second (Gbps), allowing subscribers to surf, stream, and share however much content they want at incredible speeds. Once the announced phases of the Rural Fibre Initiative are complete, SaskTel’s infiNET network, which is already Saskatchewan’s largest fibre optic broadband network, will reach approximately 80% of all households in the province.