CONNECTING SASKATCHEWAN
CONNECTING SASKATCHEWAN
Saskatchewan’s home-grown communications leader, SaskTel, connects the Canadian province.
Charlene Gavel, President and CEO, discusses the company’s Rural Fibre Initiative, 5G rollout, Aurora Program, and more
Writer: Jack Salter | Project Manager: Jakub Tyl
I’ve had a life-long connection to the telecommunications (telecoms) industry, and SaskTel specifically.”
Growing up in the Canadian province of Saskatchewan, President and CEO Charlene Gavel saw first-hand how SaskTel’s work connected even the smallest communities – experience that shaped her belief in the power of local service and community connection.
Headquartered in the provincial capital of Regina, SaskTel offers a wide range of services to the consumer market, including wireless, internet, television, and security products.
The company is also a major player in the local business environment and delivers a variety of professional, smart, and managed collaboration services.
SaskTel’s expertise in delivering high-quality and reliable communications solutions, combined with its
inherent innovative approach, have positioned the Crown corporation at the heart of the profound transformation that Canada’s telecoms sector is currently undergoing.
“What makes this moment so exciting is not just the emergence of new technologies, such as fiber optics, 5G, and artificial intelligence (AI) infrastructure and solutions, but also the possibilities these solutions will create,” Gavel insights.
ALLIANCE WITH DELOITTE CANADA
While SaskTel is extremely proficient at constructing, operating, and maintaining traditional communications networks, it also has an eye to the future and the emerging technologies that will shape the world for decades to come.
A great example of this is the recently announced strategic alliance with Deloitte Canada to advance Saskatchewan’s AI capabilities and infrastructure.
Through this alliance, SaskTel will be adding graphics processing unit (GPU) capacity to its existing data centers to support the creation and delivery of AI solutions.
Initially, the company’s primary goal is to bring AI solutions to support and grow the agriculture, mining, and healthcare sectors in Saskatchewan.
These three sectors are key drivers of the provincial economy and would greatly benefit from the adoption and integration of AI-powered solutions.
“While we’re still in the early stages of this engagement, I’m incredibly excited about the potential benefits that AI can bring to our business in terms of new revenue opportunities and helping us to pave the way for an even brighter and more prosperous future for our company,” Gavel emphasizes.
“With fiber optics, we’re able to support the delivery of critical healthcare services in Saskatchewan’s remote and far north; with 5G, we’re helping our customers connect to their loved ones and the world faster than ever before and from nearly anywhere in the province; and with AI, we’re looking to support and drive growth in our province’s key economic sectors.”
CROWN CORPORATION
As a Crown corporation wholly owned by the province of Saskatchewan, SaskTel reinvests directly into the
communities it serves, enabling access to advanced technologies like fiber optics and 5G across urban and rural areas.
Due to its unique blend of provincial ownership, deep local commitment, and comprehensive suite of innovative services, SaskTel stands out as Saskatchewan’s leading communications provider.
“In total, we manage over 1.4 million customer connections across the province, supported by our extensive networks,” informs Gavel.
“Our success is built on the dedication of our 3,200 employees
“DELIVERING FIBER AND 5G TO RURAL AND REMOTE COMMUNITIES ISN’T JUST A TECHNICAL ACHIEVEMENT – IT’S ABOUT ENSURING EVERY RESIDENT, NO MATTER WHERE THEY LIVE, HAS ACCESS TO OPPORTUNITY”
– CHARLENE GAVEL, PRESIDENT AND CEO, SASKTEL
who live and work in communities across Saskatchewan. I’m truly grateful for the opportunity to lead SaskTel and work alongside such a passionate team; together, we’re not just connecting people – we’re empowering them to thrive.”
With this skilled workforce and a legacy of firsts – from pioneering high-speed internet to launching self-serve mobile platforms – SaskTel combines innovation and reliability.
“Our commitment to community impact, strategic investment, and customer satisfaction has earned us national recognition and solidified our role as a trusted technology leader in Saskatchewan,” she acclaims.
FIBER AND 5G ROLLOUTS
When SaskTel announced the launch of its Rural Fibre Initiative in December 2020, the company initially intended to invest CAD$50 million to bring the speed and power of its fiber optic broadband network, known as SaskTel infiNETTM service, to approximately 30,000 homes and businesses in more than 20 rural communities.
“Weʼre proud of Geartechʼs twenty year relationship with SaskTel.”
Alain
Cauchy,
Geartech Technologies, Founder & President
Together with SaskTel, delivering smarter Wi-Fi across Saskatchewan.
“Weʼre proud of our partnership with Sasktel. For over two years, SaskTel has provided cutting-edge Wi-Fi from eero to ensure Saskatchewan households experience faster, more reliable connectivity for work, streaming, and everything in between.”
Mark Sieglock, eero EVP, Software and Services
more modern broadband solutions has grown, so has the initiative.
“As of today, we have committed to investing CAD$280 million in order to bring infiNET service to nearly 200 rural communities, ranging in size from a few thousand residents to less than 200,” Gavel reveals.
“Since announcing this project, we’ve launched infiNETservice in a little over 100 rural communities included in the Rural Fibre Initiative.”
SaskTel expects to complete all phases of the initiative by the end of 2027; once complete, 85 percent of all Saskatchewan homes and businesses will have access to the incredible speed and reliability that only a
can deliver.
In addition to this extensive fiber rollout, the company is investing more than CAD$600 million to upgrade its entire wireless network to 5G.
Reaching nearly every corner of the province, SaskTel’s wireless network is by far the largest in Saskatchewan and comprises more than 1,000 cell sites, delivering reliable and high-quality wireless connectivity to 99 percent of the area’s population.
Since beginning the rollout of 5G in 2021, SaskTel has successfully upgraded more than 800 cell sites to 5G.
“Thanks to these efforts, we can deliver unparalleled 5G connectivity
to approximately 90 percent of the people in our province,” highlights Gavel.
Another exciting development on the 5G front was the launch of SaskTel’s 5G Innovation Labs last year.
Through a collaboration with Innovation Saskatchewan and Samsung Canada, it has created two purposefully designed and equipped facilities in Regina and Saskatoon that provide local businesses, university students, researchers, and other innovators with the tools and facilities needed to unlock the full potential of 5G technology and develop innovative solutions that will shape the future of communication and connectivity across Saskatchewan.
CONSTRUCT DESIGN SERVICE CONNECT
AFL is a leader in the infrastructure landscape, delivering engineering, construction, and field services for critical infrastructure providers across Canada and the US. Our highly skilled and experienced professionals design, build, connect, and maintain the critical systems and networks that power modern communities and industries — keeping people, businesses, and services seamlessly connected.
From our roots in telecommunications, where we are recognized as trusted experts with a proven track record of delivering large-scale, end-toend, high-impact projects for Canada’s largest telecommunications providers, to servicing and maintaining water and power meter systems, AFL Network Services ensures critical infrastructure and systems are expertly deployed and maintained.
AURORA PROGRAM
Of the major initiatives SaskTel has on the go, the Aurora Program is the most recent.
Thanks to funding support from the Government of Canada’s Universal
Broadband Fund (UBF), the company is working to bring cutting-edge communications solutions and connectivity to some of the most remote and isolated communities in Saskatchewan.
“In total, we expect to invest up to CAD$160 million, with nearly CAD$140 million coming from the UBF, to bring the speed and power of our infiNET network to the residents living in more than 30 northern and Indigenous communities,” Gavel tells us.
SaskTel will also be using some of these funds to bring wireless connectivity to a remote northern highway.
Known as Hanson Lake Road, Highway 106 connects many communities in Northeast Saskatchewan to the more densely populated southern half of the province.
For many, this highway is one of the only routes available to them to get to access the southern part of Saskatchewan.
“We’re extremely pleased to be able to bring wireless connectivity to Highway 106, which will drastically improve the ability to contact loved
ones while travelling or connect with first responders should an emergency occur,” enlightens Gavel.
While constructing communications networks is no easy feat, the Aurora Program is extremely challenging, especially given the difficult conditions posed by the Canadian Shield, muskeg, dense forestation, wildlife, and logistics of transporting the necessary infrastructure to Saskatchewan’s remote north.
Adding to these challenges, all work is required to be complete by the end of March 2027 due to federal funding guidelines.
If that wasn’t enough, this year was incredibly difficult for many in Northern Saskatchewan as wildfires ravaged countless hectares of forest,
“OUR COMMITMENT TO COMMUNITY IMPACT, STRATEGIC INVESTMENT, AND CUSTOMER
SATISFACTION HAS EARNED US NATIONAL RECOGNITION AND SOLIDIFIED OUR ROLE AS A TRUSTED TECHNOLOGY LEADER IN
SASKATCHEWAN”
– CHARLENE GAVEL, PRESIDENT AND CEO, SASKTEL
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forcing thousands of people, including many SaskTel employees working on the Aurora Program, to evacuate the area for weeks at a time.
“Despite the immense amount of work and difficult conditions, I’m
pleased with the progress we’ve made so far,” Gavel assures.
“Ultimately, the Aurora Program is a testament to our commitment to bridging gaps and connecting the most isolated communities.”
As well as wholeheartedly embracing the challenge of the Aurora Program, next year is all about building momentum for SaskTel –technologically, culturally, and socially.
Looking ahead to 2026, Gavel’s focus is on accelerating SaskTel’s transformation into a future-ready organization while staying true to its roots as a community-minded Crown corporation.
“Internally, I’m focused on empowering our people. I’ve seen first-hand how passionate and committed SaskTel’s employees are, and I want to continue fostering that culture of care and innovation,” she concludes.
Tel: 1-800-727-5835