Today, SaskTel, Samsung Canada, and Innovation Saskatchewan announced the launch of Saskatchewan’s first-ever 5G Innovation Labs. Named the SaskTel 5G Innovation Lab - powered by Samsung, these new labs are purposefully designed and equipped to provide local businesses, university students, researchers, and other innovators with the tools and facilities needed to unlock the full potential of 5G technology and develop innovative solutions that will shape the future of communication and connectivity across Saskatchewan.
“There are significant economic opportunities and social benefits that advanced communications networks and technologies can deliver to people in communities across our province,” said Jeremy Harrison, Minister Responsible for Innovation Saskatchewan. “These labs are a critical resource for local innovators, providing them with the means to fully leverage advanced wireless technologies and develop innovative solutions. Access to the latest high quality 5G services will play an important role in connecting our province and accelerating Saskatchewan's economic growth.”
“Today’s announcement marks another positive step forward for connectivity and innovation in our province,” said Dustin Duncan, Minister Responsible for SaskTel. “These labs will accelerate the development of wireless innovations that will support job creation and economic growth, and help Saskatchewan people benefit from the many opportunities that come from the deployment of 5G technology.”
The 5G Innovation Labs are located at the Collider co-working spaces in Saskatoon and Regina, part of the Innovation Place research and technology parks. In close proximity to the province’s largest post-secondary institutions, a world-class research community and growing technology companies, the parks provide a ready-made gathering place for the labs’ users.
The unique space and flexible accommodation of the Collider co-working spaces will also provide a seamless integrated experience for short and long-term use.
“Innovation Saskatchewan is proud to be home to the 5G Innovation Labs,” said Kari Harvey, CEO of Innovation Saskatchewan. “This collaboration between industry and government shows the province’s commitment to ensuring the competitiveness of our tech sector and expanding opportunities through our evolving innovation corridor.”
5G Labs have become crucial for companies in Canada because they open vast amounts of data transfer, creating networks that are more secure, clean and faster than previous technologies for companies to test products and conduct research. This will especially benefit the province’s core industries like agriculture, mining and health care as well as Internet of Things (IoT) companies that rely on the advantages of a 5G network.
“We live in a wireless world where everything from business to government, education to healthcare, financial transactions to social interactions are reliant on the wireless networks and technologies that connect us to people and resources all over the world,” said Charlene Gavel, SaskTel President and CEO. “I want to thank both Samsung and
Innovation Saskatchewan for partnering with us to bring these labs from concept to reality and we’re excited to launch the labs so that we can start pushing the boundaries of 5G technology to create a more connected future for our province.”
Initially launched in late 2021, SaskTel’s 5G network consists of more than 520 cell sites and covers nearly 85% of the provincial population. Already able to deliver hyper-fast data speeds, SaskTel’s 5G network will continue to evolve to meet the needs of customers and support the emergence of new wireless technologies.
“We are only just beginning to see the incredible possibilities 5G will enable for Canadian industries, and with these new Innovation Labs we are marking a critical next step in bringing these capabilities to life,” said Stephen Wiktorski, Vice President and Head of Networks at Samsung Canada. “Together with SaskTel and Innovation Saskatchewan, we are proud to realize a new era of innovation in Saskatchewan.”
As the primary and trusted wireless solutions provider to SaskTel, Samsung is providing the latest 4G and 5G Radio Access Network (RAN) and Core solutions to help foster an environment for innovation. Built on an advanced 5G RAN architecture, the ultra-low latency and high bandwidth capabilities of 5G will empower innovators to explore and create solutions across various industries from mining to agriculture to smart cities. Samsung’s technology will be the catalyst for the advancement of use cases for wireless private networks and the Innovation Labs will provide the necessary environment for innovators to realize their solutions. Samsung’s industry leading designs and expertise in deployment will provide the assistance needed to get the Innovation Labs up and running.
To learn more or book space at the SaskTel 5G Innovation Labs – powered by Samsung, please visit www.sasktel.com/5Ginnovationlab.
About SaskTel
SaskTel is the leading Information and Communications Technology (ICT) provider in Saskatchewan, with approximately $1.3 billion in annual revenue and nearly 1.4 million customer connections including more than 654,000 wireless accesses, 257,000 wireline network accesses, 295,000 internet and data accesses, 111,000 maxTV service subscribers, and 77,000 security monitoring customers. SaskTel and its wholly-owned subsidiaries offer a wide range of ICT products and services including competitive voice, data and Internet services, wireless data services, maxTV services, data centre services, cloud-based services, security monitoring services, advertising services, and international software and consulting services. SaskTel and its wholly-owned subsidiaries have a workforce of approximately 3,300 full-time equivalent employees (FTEs). Visit SaskTel at www.sasktel.com.
About Samsung Electronics Canada Inc.
Samsung Electronics Canada inspires Canadians to reach their full potential through a transformative ecosystem of products and services that deliver innovation and distinct design to every aspect of their connected lives. The company is redefining the worlds of TVs, smartphones, and wearable devices, tablets and digital appliances. In 2022, Samsung was ranked as one of Canada's "Most Reputable Companies" by Léger, named one of Canada’s Top 100 Employers and placed first on Forbes’ 'The World's
Best Employers' list. Dedicated to helping make a difference in the lives of Canadians, Samsung's award-winning corporate giving initiatives support public education and health-related issues in communities across the country. To discover more, please visit: www.samsung.com/ca.
Follow Samsung Canada at facebook.com/SamsungCanada, on Instagram @samsungcanada or on Twitter @SamsungCanada.
About Innovation Saskatchewan
Innovation Saskatchewan is the central innovation agency for the Government of Saskatchewan. It is dedicated to empowering innovators and supporting Saskatchewan’s vibrant technology sector and research community, helping propel the province to a prosperous future. The agency's robust portfolio of research and technology parks, grant programs and research funding help accelerate ground-breaking advancements, support technological growth and create collaborative environments. Innovation Saskatchewan works closely with industry, academia and other stakeholders to provide strong foundations that allow our ecosystem to thrive and make Saskatchewan a world leader in innovation. Visit www.innovationsask.ca for more information.
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For media inquiries, please contact:
SaskTel Media Relations
Phone:306.777.2727
Email: media.relations@sasktel.com
Samsung Canada
Alex.Thomas@Samsung.com
+1 416.407.6436
Innovation Saskatchewan
Dani Wawryk
Phone: 306.230.6220
Email: dani.wawryk@innovationsask.ca
photo: Matt Smith / CP Images
