REGINA — Faster surfing is coming soon to 200 rural Saskatchewan libraries.
The Ministry of Education is working closely with SaskTel to upgrade internet bandwidth in rural public libraries across the province.
Over the summer, nearly 200 rural public libraries with existing CommunityNet (CNet) fibre networks will be upgraded to a minimum speed of 50 megabits per second (Mbps). These increased speeds will improve the library experience by providing faster access to online tools and research.
CNet is a private network connecting all educational organizations and libraries in a single, provincial network. Through a joint effort between SaskTel and the Ministry of Education, these upgrades are being completed within the existing CNet contract. This network is safe and secure and adds access to multiple provincial and international research and education networks.
Currently, there are 160 public libraries outside Saskatchewan's urban centres with 10Mbps fibre CNet connections and 36 public libraries with 25Mbps.