SaskTel reverses decision on charging for email accounts

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.

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

In a followup 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.