SaskTel launching TD-LTE fixed-wireless service

Saskatchewan full-service telco SaskTel has announced the launch of a new commercial fixed-wireless broadband service based on time division duplex (TDD) LTE (or TD-LTE) technology under the ‘High Speed Fusion Internet’ banner. Initially available only to SaskTel’s existing ‘Wireless Broadband Internet’ (WBBI) customers being served by one of a specific list of twelve wireless towers, where SaskTel’s ‘High Throughput Satellite’ (HTS) service is not available. High Speed Fusion Internet will be the ‘recommended’ internet choice for these customers, although they can also choose SaskTel’s legacy ‘Satellite Internet’ service or alternatively HSPA/LTE mobile internet service if they have network coverage. A deployment schedule will be announced in November, after which the WBBI customers in the twelve zones will have at least 30 days to migrate to a new service after the deployment of the TD-LTE service in their location, while High Speed Fusion Internet will also be available to any new customers within the coverage area of the twelve towers by early 2014. The TD-LTE service will cost CAD79.99 (USD77.73) per month and will offer download speeds of up to 5Mbps, which SaskTel says is more than twice the speed of the existing WBBI service. SaskTel has requested an extension from Industry Canada for its expiring WBBI wireless spectrum to 31 March 2015 for the remaining 43 WBBI towers across the province to allow customers more time to convert to a new internet service.