Two northern communities now have access to SaskTel's LTE network. (File Photo/paNOW Staff)

By Michael Joel-Hansen

Telecommunications

New cell towers mean improvements for two northern communities

Nov 26, 2019 | 2:05 PM

People in two northern communities now have access to LTE cellular service.

SaskTel has announced small cell sites in the communities of Brabant Lake and Sucker River will provide people in those area with better cell and internet service.

Michelle Englot, director of external communications with SaskTel, said the new infrastructure will help.

“These are small cell sites, so what that is, is each tower is a 30-meter short range micro cell tower, so it covers the town and the immediate surrounding area,” she said.

Englot said the process of getting the two towers built took about a year, which ranged from getting regulatory approval to construction.

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The new towers will allow customers to have better downloading and uploading speeds and better phone calls. Englot added before these upgrades, cell service would have been much different.

“These communities would have fringe service at best,” she said.

Nearly the entire province is covered by SaskTel’s LTE network.

Phillipe Gaudet, who has lived in Brabant Lake for three years and works at the Brabant Lake Resort said the improved cell service is appreciated.

“It gives an extra layer of safety for travelling around,” he said.

Overall Gaudet said having improved service opens up more possibilities for the community as people who come up to visit like having cell service.

“It opens up more possibilities for everything around here,” he said.

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MichaelJoel.Hansen@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @mjhskcdn