Faster Internet speeds could be coming to La Ronge in 2020. (File photo/paNOW Staff)

By Derek Cornet

Infrastructure Improvements

Access Communications hosts La Ronge meeting to discuss Internet speeds

Nov 8, 2019 | 12:01 PM

La Ronge resident Curtis Skalicky, who launched a petition last month seeking higher internet speeds, walked away from a recent meeting with Access Communications with a better sense of the challenges the non-profit faces.

“I’m greatly appreciative of Access Communications actually coming to the community and explain it in person,” he said. “It looks like something could be happening here in the near future, which is absolutely fantastic for the tri-community area. Access is promising they will be communicating any of the new information they receive back to the community, town council and leaderships, so hopefully we will see something down the line here in 2020.”

Access held a small meeting Oct. 30 in La Ronge for invited guests, which included La Ronge Deputy-Mayor Dallas Everest, Air Ronge Mayor Gordon Stomp, Skalicky and several representatives from Access along with larongeNOW.

The meeting was called because employees of the non-profit wanted to discuss barriers to the expansion and improvement of services such as rural broadband Internet in the area. Representatives stated the largest hurdle in Access getting higher speeds is because it relies on SaskTel’s rural Ethernet Transport (RET) for connectivity to the tri-communities and there are no other alternatives available.

With the system in place, the pricing of the transport of Internet traffic to and from area limits the ability of Access to provide better services like they offer in other communities. Access would like to see better pricing for what it pays for RET, which is currently $20,000 per month. The non-profit is unable to expand its transport without incurring losses for providing services in La Ronge.

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“We recognize our customers frustration and believe both the provincial government and Access Communications share the goal of improving connectivity to rural Saskatchewan,” said CEO Jim Deane in a media release. “We can work together to benefit rural Saskatchewan by asking to ensure provincial RET pricing is reasonable and in line with other Canadian provinces.”

Access also recently received improved competitive pricing information from SaskTel. If the new rates are implemented, it will allow Access to serve La Ronge and Air Ronge with faster Internet speeds such as 300 mbps. Access was advised by SaskTel it will be providing better pricing in the first quarter of 2020.

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derek.cornet@jpbg.ca

Twitter: @saskjourno