SASKTEL ANNOUNCES NEW INTERNET PACKAGE FOR SCHOOLS

Released on October 9, 1996

Carol Teichrob, minister responsible for SaskTel, and Education
Minister Pat Atkinson today announced an improved Dial Internet Access
package for schools, which replaces the original school package
launched by the corporation in Dec. 1995.

"Advanced, leading-edge technology is increasingly important in today's
education system," Teichrob said. "This announcement is a continuation
of SaskTel's commitment to providing innovative Internet service to all
Saskatchewan students, ensuring they have access to this learning
tool."

"SaskTel has made sure our rural schools are treated no differently
than urban schools," Atkinson said. "I'm extremely pleased that
SaskTel, as a publically-owned service, has made the Internet
accessible to rural students."

The package is available to provincial Kindergarten to grade 12
schools, libraries, regional colleges and First Nations schools.

SaskTel's decision to revamp the original Internet package followed
consultation with the Department of Education. As a result, SaskTel is
creating a more economical package which will allow schools to continue
to provide Internet access for their students.

Effective Jan. 1, 1997, SaskTel's Dial Internet Access package will
cost schools $100 a month for up to 200 usage hours, with a $1.50
charge per additional hour. Individual schools will also be able to
use up to 10 mailboxes. The announcement is being made now to allow
school boards to include the item in their 1997 budgets.

"The premise behind SaskTel's Dial Access Internet package is to
provide affordable, useful Internet services applicable and exclusive
to the education sector in Saskatchewan," Teichrob said.

Atkinson noted that Saskatchewan is already a source of information on
the Internet. Other jurisdictions, including seven states in the U.S
midwest, have established a direct link to Saskatchewan Education's
World Wide Web site for access to the Saskatchewan Arts Education
Curriculum.

-30-

For more information, contact:

Sean Caragata Terry White
SaskTel Education
Regina Regina
Phone: (306) 777-4105 Phone: (306) 787-1069