In today鈥檚 digital world, secure and reliable connectivity is a must-have 鈥� especially for businesses spread across rural and remote areas, where network gaps can slow productivity and limit growth. That鈥檚 why Sunrise Credit Union, which serves over 35,000 members across 19 branches in southwestern Manitoba, decided it was time to modernize.
鈥淥ur systems were still working, but they weren鈥檛 built for the future,鈥� says Kelly Scott, Vice President of IT at Sunrise. 鈥淲e needed a solution that could scale with us.鈥�
Their search led them to 鈥� Saskatchewan鈥檚 leading communications provider. While better known in their home province, SaskTel has been expanding throughout Western Canada, helping organizations tackle complex connectivity challenges with tailored, high-performance solutions.
From the beginning, SaskTel took a different approach. 鈥淭hey didn鈥檛 just show up with a pitch,鈥� Scott says. 鈥淭hey spent time understanding our environment and our needs. Then they came back with a plan that was built specifically for us.鈥�
That plan led to a complete overhaul of Sunrise鈥檚 network. SaskTel replaced outdated equipment at all 19 branches, including switches, VoIP systems, routers, firewalls and Wi-Fi. They also implemented a flexible SD-WAN solution, connecting every location through a single, secure, high-speed network.
For Sunrise鈥檚 Senior IT Officer, Belinda Griffith, the upgrade was transformational. 鈥淣ow, everything runs faster and more reliably 鈥� and we鈥檝e seen a major drop in downtime.鈥�
Beyond performance, the new system gives Sunrise鈥檚 IT team more visibility and control. With real-time diagnostics and intelligent routing, issues are resolved quickly and efficiently.
Just as importantly, the new setup supports Sunrise鈥檚 internal team. 鈥淲e鈥檙e still hands-on with our systems,鈥� Griffith says. 鈥淏ut having SaskTel manage the outer perimeter gives us breathing room. It鈥檚 like gaining an experienced extension of our own team.鈥�
What began as a tech upgrade has grown into a true partnership. 鈥淭his isn鈥檛 a typical vendor relationship,鈥� Scott says. 鈥淚t鈥檚 built on trust and shared goals. SaskTel鈥檚 shown they鈥檙e invested in our success.鈥�
For B.C. businesses 鈥� especially those in rural or regional areas 鈥� SaskTel might not be top of mind. But Sunrise鈥檚 story shows what鈥檚 possible when you work with a provider that listens first and delivers smart, scalable solutions.
Interested in upgrading your business network?
Call 1.844.SASKTEL (1.844.727.5835) or visit to see how SaskTel can tailor a solution for you.