Canadian telecommunications services provider SaskTel has selected Samsung as the sole vendor to supply the company with its 4G/5G Radio Access Network (RAN) and Core, the South Korean vendor said in a release.
Under the terms of the agreement, Samsung will supply all hardware, software and other services for the deployment of an end-to-end 5G solution.
Don Morgan, minister responsible for SaskTel, noted that 5G technology will deliver new levels of performance and efficiency that will enhance user experience and set the foundation for smart cities, next generation virtual healthcare, immersive education, smart agriculture technology and next level gaming.
“We are pleased to select Samsung as the sole vendor for our 5G network deployment and we are confident that Samsung’s state-of-the-art 5G technology will deliver robust network capability and exceptional connectivity inherent in their 5G solutions,” said Doug Burnett, SaskTel president and CEO. “The increased speeds, reliability, and capacity that 5G brings will support remote work, virtual health, and distance education, and enable SaskTel’s customers to realize the full capabilities of the latest 5G-ready devices, including the Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra 5G.”
SaskTel is a Canadian crown-owned telecommunications firm based in the province of Saskatchewan. Owned by the provincial government, it provides voice, data and Internet services, wireless data services, pay-TV, data center services, cloud-based services, security monitoring services, advertising services, and international software and consulting services.
Canadian telecoms operator Telus had selected Samsung Electronics as its 5G network infrastructure supplier in June 2020. Telus had also said that European vendors Ericsson and Nokia are also supporting the deployment of its 5G network.
Meanwhile, rival operator Bell had launched its commercial 5G service in the country last June. The carrier’s 5G service was initially available in Montréal, the Greater Toronto Area, Calgary, Edmonton and Vancouver.
In 2020, Bell Canada selected Ericsson 5G Radio Access Network (RAN) technology to support its nationwide 5G mobile and fixed wireless access deployment. The carrier started the construction of its 5G network last year, using equipment from Finnish vendor Nokia.
During a recent call with investors, Bell’s president and CEO, Mirko Bibic, noted that Bell had selected Nordic vendors Ericsson and Nokia as the suppliers of the carrier’s 5G standalone network.
In December 2020, Rogers Communications announced that it had started to roll out its 5G Standalone core network. The new network, with solutions from Swedish vendor Ericsson, will be initially rolled out in Montreal, Ottawa, Toronto and Vancouver.
Rogers had said that its 5G network reached 160 communities across the country as of the end of last year. In January 2020, Rogers Communications had initially launched 5G in Vancouver, Toronto, Ottawa and Montreal.
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