Long distances and long distance telephone bills are nothing new to prairie residents. But a rollback in long distance phone rates is something they don’t see nearly as often.
Saskatchewan’s crown-owned tele-phone utility is moving to do just that as it eliminates 52 rural telephone exchanges.
That will create larger local calling areas for many farm residents, and that in turn should mean fewer long distance calls.
Fifteen exchanges have already been amalgamated.
Telephone exchanges made up of small areas have caused rural people concern for decades. Some residents are forced to call long distance to a neighbor down the road or to the nearby town, while phoning a city 75 kilometres away is a local call.
“Fifty thousand rural Saskatchewan families and businesses will be positively affected by the changes,” said Sean Caragata of SaskTel.
The remaining 37 exchanges are scheduled to become part of larger ones on March 16.
