Tired of Telecom Price Increases? Switch Providers, Says Ottawa

After news of telecom providers announcing prices increases for wireless, internet and more, Innovation, Science and Economic Development (ISED) Canada says there’s one way to combat rising bills—just look into switching providers.

After we reported Rogers price increases for wireless and Ignite bundles, it later came to light Shaw TV, internet and home phone prices were increasing as well. There was also one unconfirmed price increase from Bell seen on X.

So what should Canadians do if they are sick of telecom price increases? Just look into switching to another provider, says the federal government.

That’s what an ISED Canada spokesperson told CBC News earlier this week.

“Customers could consider switching service providers,” said ISED, when asked about the recent telecom price hikes.

The Industry Minister François-Philippe Champagne also told CBC News the recent price increases from Rogers “go against” the federal government’s plans. His rhetoric said telecoms should “consider customers over profits at this time,” without explaining what consequences could happen if the latter did not happen.

The statement from @ISED_CA didn’t directly answer my question about whether the minister would take action. It referenced that Rogers is still subject to conditions for Shaw deal and those will be enforced.
But since this doesn’t violate those… 🤷🏻‍♂️ (10/x)

— Anis R. Heydari (@RadioAnis) January 6, 2024

“At this time, there is no indication Rogers is contravening their transaction agreement. However, Rogers is subject to binding reporting requirements and significant damages of up to $1 billion for noncompliance,” said ISED Canada, referring to the Rogers-Shaw merger, that was approved by the department.

It’s true that flanker brands of Rogers, Telus and Bell (Fido, Koodo and Virgin Plus) offer cheaper plans versus flagship plans from the ‘Big 3’. Even Freedom Mobile is forging ahead with some aggressive plans. The problem? It’s on Canadians to go hunt out these limited-time deals and navigate complex websites that frequently get updated designs, that seemingly confuse users more every single time. Switching carriers also is a time-consuming process that many just don’t want to do.