SaskTel keeping payphones around

SASKATOON – Saskatchewan’s Crown telecommunications firm is not looking at doing away with payphones.

SaskTel says payphones are an “essential service” for some people in the province.

A ruling from the Canadian Radio-Television and Telecommunications Commission this week denied Bell Canada’s request to increase payphone charges from 50 cents to a dollar.

Bell says payphones are expensive to maintain and without the increase they may have to get rid of phones in low-profit areas.