SaskTel

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 However, the bill was repealed in 2017.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.