SaskTel has announced it will shut down its code division multiple access (CDMA) network next year.
Starting July 5, 2017, CDMA devices will no longer function. SaskTel says it will be transitioning existing CDMA customers to its 4G and 4G LTE networks.
“SaskTel is committed to providing Saskatchewan residents with the best wireless networks in the province, however as technology evolves, it becomes necessary to turn down older networks,” SaskTel president and CEO Ron Styles said in a news release.
“By shutting down the CDMA network, we can repurpose spectrum so we can continue to add capacity to our 4G and 4G LTE network province-wide and resources can be refocused towards emerging technologies, products, and services.”
SaskTel says CDMA wireless technology is being phased out around the world, as the devices are becoming more costly to repair, and network equipment is increasingly difficult to source.
The Crown-owned utility says its roaming partners will likely begin to shut down their respective CDMA networks in early 2017. At least one of SaskTel’s roaming partners has confirmed it will shut down its network on Jan. 31, 2017. As a result, SaskTel customers will lose coverage when leaving Saskatchewan if they continue using a CDMA device.
SaskTel stores and authorized dealers stopped selling CDMA devices and service contracts last March to ensure that no customers will be left in a contract without coverage.
