Samsung Canada announced that they would be establishing a new regional office in Regina.
The office, based in downtown Regina, will see Samsung Canada support the deployment of 5G network capabilities and solutions in the province.
Don Morgan, the minister responsible for SaskTel, said this is a big step forward for the province.
“As wireless technology continues to change the way we live, work, and do business, we are extremely pleased that Samsung is investing in our province,” he said. “This office in Regina will help support SaskTel’s deployment of 5G throughout Saskatchewan and is also a demonstration of Samsung’s confidence in our province’s capabilities and presence as a growing tech hub in Canada.”
It was announced earlier this year that Samsung would supply all of its hardware, software, and associated expertise to deploy SaskTel’s 5G solutions.
Stephen Wiktorski, head of networks for Samsung Canada, said the office’s opening marks a milestone moment for Samsung.
“It’s much more than just opening an office. We celebrate the growing collaboration with SaskTel as we move one step closer to bringing 5G services to the province of Saskatchewan, its people, and its businesses,” he said. “We look forward to combining our technology with SaskTel’s expertise with operating high-performance networks in the prairies that deliver exceptional 5G performance and reliability to the people of Saskatchewan.”
SaskTel President and CEO Doug Burnett said Samsung was an obvious choice to be the 5G provider.
“They are strongly aligned with SaskTel on the incredible economic and social value that 5G can provide to Saskatchewan industry, agriculture, and as well our rural areas.”
Witkowski adds that the new office will house ten full-time employees, with that possibly expanding. As for SaskTel, Burnett said that he expects around 70 employees to be hired over the next five years to roll out 5G.
SaskTel plans to begin deploying its 5G network on a limited basis by the end of 2021, with broader deployment planned for 2022 in Regina and Saskatoon.
Some of the key benefits of 5G include increased data speeds, reliability, ultra-low latency and capacity. These capabilities are powering advanced solutions for remote work and virtual health and new applications for agriculture, manufacturing and mining. 5G will also deliver enhanced consumer experiences that include uninterrupted video streaming, hyper-fast download speeds and improved connectivity.