So my significant other and I recently signed up for Sasktel's HSPA service, it is great for the most part but there are holes in the coverage. Specifically, we don't get a consistent signal in our apartment and we gave up home phone service as we wanted to just have our iPhone 4s. I understand they are still in the process of expanding the network, and can accept spotty coverage on a temporary basis, but it would be nice to make phone calls from home. Anybody else run afoul of Saskatchewan's largest 3G network? I'm hoping to find an elegant solution to my problems, but it has eluded me thus far.

Where in SK is your apartment? City, town, rural? It is kind of meaningless to ask the question without the location.

I'm in Saskatoon, near Wildwood golf course. The signal is about 2 bars outside, almost nothing inside; sometimes I am unable to make calls even with 2 bars showing. Skype would work for us except that there are no Canadian numbers available for incoming calls. Also looking at Magic Jack, though something that works with our iPhones would be better.

SaskTel doesn't claim to have the same coverage on the new network as it did on the old. As it stands, they are constantly extending/improving coverage, and don't expect to be done until the end of 2011. So, when you say you can accept the coverage on a temporary basis, how long is temporary? I would guess that their priority will be to get some coverage everywhere before enhancing coverage in locations that have coverage, so additional towers in Saskatoon, probably won't be until closer to the end of the year. I assume you have called them and voiced your troubles?

I'm going to be camped at the Fieldstone campground just north of Moosemin in June for a family birthday celebration. I use a Telus 3G internet stick to upload my web site daily. I sure hope it works there by then.

It's unfortunate that you gave up your home phone service before testing that your cell coverage was good in the apartment.

I have some spotty coverage in basements and one corner of my house. On the old network I had coverage, and now it's spotty or non-existent. I knew that in building coverage might not be fully up to par yet though so wasn't surprised by it. There is coverage at the lakes I go in the summer so that was my main criteria. I am okay with waiting until the end of the year for better in building coverage in the city.

I'm going to be camped at the Fieldstone campground just north of Moosemin in June for a family birthday celebration. I use a Telus 3G internet stick to upload my web site daily. I sure hope it works there by then.Moosomin does have coverage already. I haven't been down there myself, but theoretically you should be covered.

That's good to know, thanks Sean.

When I had called SaskTel to complain a few months ago they said at first they are starting with on the 1900Mhz frequency; that frequency is for range. They told me that once they had enough coverage will expand to over 850 or 900Mhz to be able to "punch though buildings". I too have problems in my basement when before I didnt on their old network. Now if i have to go down I just use my bluetooth for conversations. I still get enough for texts...

I work just out of town, I get great service while a coworker is stuck on the Edge network with Fido. I hear Warman is bad too. Heres to hoping it gets better soon.

SaskTel's HSPA is all on the 1900 MHz band now. As CDMA subscribers migrate, SaskTel will be able to reallocate some 850 MHz CDMA coverage to their HSPA network and interior and rural coverage will get a lot better.

I ended up subscribing to Skype's unlimited US/Canada plan, texts seem to get through OK and I can check my voicemails on the iMac, then call back over Skype. Sasktel's customer service tells me that there are no coverage issues, but the tech support are aware of the issue and assure me Sasktel is determining how to best handle it. They are examining a number of solutions including new towers, micro towers on existing buildings, femtocells, etc..