SaskTel announced seven additional rural communities yesterday that will receive 4G LTE cellular services. This brings the small cell site solution commitment total to 50 communities throughout Saskatchewan to be completed by the end of March. SaskTel announced in July that a total of 100 communities in the province would eventually be receiving small cell site towers, with only 43 being named at the time.

“(These communities) will receive improved cellular services as a result of our expansion of a small site to that area,” said Michelle Englot with Sasktel. “We’re bringing service to seven more rural Saskatchewan locations.”

The other communities to be added are Pennant, Carievale, Waseca, Val Marie, McTaggart and Laird.

“They will have more reliable cellular coverage, and they’ll be able to stream more things. Essentially, right now, these communities are receiving only fringe coverage, and this will significantly enhance their wireless services in the area,” she explained.

She said the infrastructure is currently being put into place in the first 50 communities.

“These are all new cellular towers,” said Englot. “It is a smaller cellular tower, but they are all new, so we are going through all of the steps and we’re hoping to launch our first one with services sometime this year, but the majority of the ones that we announced previously will be live beginning in January through to March.”

The remaining 50 communities in Phase 2 of the Government of Saskatchewan’s four-phase initiative to provide rural communities with enhanced access to reliable cellular and high-speed internet services will be announced when details are finalized.

READ MORE: Improved Cell Service Coming to Carievale and Macoun