SaskTel putting $80 million more into rural fibre optic initiative
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SaskTel says it is expanding its fibre optic network to more rural communities around the province. The Crown corporation announced Monday that it would be spending an additional $80 million on its rural fibre initiative.
The infiNet service delivers faster and more reliable Internet, reaching up to a gigabit per second (Gbps).
"SaskTel's investment in this important initiative will grow to a remarkable $280 million," Dustin Duncan, the minister responsible for SaskTel, said.
"This substantial increase will fuel the expansion of SaskTel fibre optic broadband network to 61 additional communities, bringing the total number of communities that will benefit from this program to 193."
SaskTel says the infiNet expansion will make Saskatchewan one of the most well-connected provinces in the country.
"By the end of all phases our fibre network, which is already the largest in the province, will reach 225 communities, and nearly 85 per cent of all homes and businesses in Saskatchewan," SaskTel's president and CEO Charlene Gavel said.
By the time the rural initiative is done, SaskTel will have put $1 billion into fibre optics in the province, Duncan said.
The rural fibre initiative is a multi-phase program.
The Crown corporation expects all included communities to be fibre-ready by the end of 2027.
