(Gatineau) Canadian travelers often pay too much for cell phone use abroad, says the CRTC, which is calling on large companies to take immediate action to offer affordable roaming options.
Major companies like BCE, Rogers Communications and Telus have until November 4 to inform the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) of the “concrete steps” they are taking to address concerns about high cell phone charges that Canadians face when traveling abroad.
If the CRTC considers that progress is not sufficient, it will hold a formal public hearing, the regulator said Monday in a press release. After obtaining and analyzing confidential information from Canadian companies, the CRTC found that roaming charges for travelers are often “high” and “inflexible”.
“Roaming fees are often inflexible for Canadian travelers, forcing consumers to pay a flat rate of $10 to $16 per day regardless of their cell phone usage,” the watchdog says.
Last year, Industry Minister François-Philippe Champagne asked the regulator to examine wireless roaming charges, saying he feared companies would raise their rates as phone bills in other jurisdictions are generally declining.
This happened after Telus and Bell both increased their US and international roaming rates in March 2023, with Telus customers paying $14 per day for US roaming, up from $12, and those visiting other destinations being charged $16, representing an increase of $1.
Bell users must pay $13 per day for roaming in the United States, up from $12, and $16 in other countries, up from $15. Rogers charges $12 and $15 for daily roaming in the United States and other parts of the world, respectively.
Furthermore, the CRTC has already taken action regarding wholesale national roaming charges. It required suppliers to establish new rates through negotiations, and if those fail, it could establish fees through supply arbitration. The CRTC expects this process to result in lower prices.