SaskTel, officially known as Saskatchewan Telecommunications Holding Corporation, is a crown-owned telecommunications company based in the province of Saskatchewan, Canada. It was established as the Department of Railways, Telegraphs and Telephones on June 12, 1908, under the Telephone Acts. In 1947, the operational duties for the province's telephone system were taken over by the newly-established crown corporation Saskatchewan Government Telephones, marking a separation of the administrative and regulatory duties of the telephone system. SaskTel is owned by the provincial government and offers a range of communication services, including landline telephone, mobile networks, broadband internet, IPTV, and security services. The company has undergone several changes and expansions since its inception, including the launch of various subsidiaries such as SaskTel International and SecurTek. In 2016, Bill 40 was proposed by the Saskatchewan Party government, which allowed for the partial privatization of up to 50% of a provincial crown corporation without seeking public approval. This bill prompted concerns about potential sales of SaskTel shares to third parties. However, the bill was repealed in 2017. SaskTel continues to operate as a crown corporation, serving approximately 1.4 million customers as of 2022.
Alias
Saskatchewan Telecommunications Holding Corporation
Country
Canada
Type
Network Operator
SaskTel logo

3G Network

The company switched on 3G UMTS services over B2 (1900 MHz) in August 2010 and adding B5 (850 MHz) after refarming EV-DO spectrum in 2014. Services have been refarmed to 4G LTE.

Network Frequency Band Status
B2 (1900 MHz)
Shutting Down
B5 (850 MHz)
Shutting Down
Date Event Subtype
Launch of 3G Network
Launch

4G Network

In January 2013 SaskTel launched 4G LTE services initially over the B4 (1700 MHz) band, adding B13 (700 MHz) after a successful spectrum auction bid. Replacing antiquated pre-WiMAX equipment, SaskTel refarmed 2500 MHz spectrum and deployed 'Fusion Internet' TDD-LTE fixed wireless services over B41 (2500 MHz) in September 2013. Following partial refarming of 3G spectrum, additional carriers B2 and B5 were activated. B66 was also implemented around 2016. B70 has been observed in certain areas as early as 2021.

4G Frequency Bands
Network Frequency Band Max. Channel Bandwidth Status Known EARFCNs
B2 (1900 MHz)
15
Active
1125
B4 (1700 MHz)
15
Active
2025
B5 (850 MHz)
5
Active
2535
B13 (700 MHz)
10
Active
5230
B66 (1700 MHz)
20
Active
66686
B70 (1700 MHz)
20
Active
68386
B71 (600 MHz)
Active
Date Event Subtype
Launch of 4G Network
Launch

5G Network

Following the country's August spectrum auctions, Sasktel launched its 5G network in December 2021 with the implementation of n66 and n78 carriers.

Network Frequency Band Max. Channel Bandwidth Status
n66 (2100 MHz)
10
Active
n78 (3500 MHz)
100
Active
Date Event Subtype
Launch of 5G Network
Launch