(980 CJME file photo)

By CKOM News

EMAILS

SaskTel reverses decision on charging for email accounts

Jan 20, 2023 | 6:00 PM

SaskTel email users are getting a reprieve.

On Thursday, the company announced it was going to start charging customers $1.95 per month for each sasktel.net email address they have. The change was to take effect April 21.

In a statement Friday afternoon, Don Morgan — the provincial minister responsible for SaskTel — said the Crown corporation would not be charging for email accounts.

“Following the decision from SaskTel earlier this week to implement a monthly fee for email users, I have spoken with Saskatchewan residents and heard their concerns,” Morgan’s statement said. “As a result, I have instructed SaskTel to keep sasktel.net email addresses free of charge for SaskTel subscribers.”

The change was to affect about 88,000 SaskTel customers.

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Late Thursday, SaskTel explained its decision to add the fee, saying on social media that the email platform is costly to maintain.

In a follow-up email, the Crown corporation said “the growing investments required to operate, maintain, and enhance our networks and services make it necessary for us to periodically adjust our rates.”

The company pays a third-party vendor, Hostopia, to host and maintain its email system. It has a head office in Canada with other offices in parts of Canada and the U.S.

In the last fiscal year, SaskTel said it paid $599,000 for Hostopia’s services, including email support and service.

Access Communications said it wasn’t going to start charging for email addresses either.

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