Cellphone Prices in Canada Are Rising Again, and the Deals Are Fading

After years of steadily getting cheaper, mobile phone plans in Canada may be starting to level off, according to new Statistics Canada data highlighted by The Globe and Mail.

Statistics Canada’s Consumer Price Index for cellular services rose year over year in both October and November 2025. It was the first increase in about two and a half years, ending a long stretch where wireless prices kept falling as telecom companies competed aggressively for customers.

Prices are still well below where they were a few years ago, but the recent uptick stands out. Statistics Canada said the increase was largely driven by fewer and less aggressive discounts in the fall compared with the same period last year. A Statistics Canada spokesperson said the data could be “the beginning of a change in trend.”

That lines up with what consumers have seen more recently. During Black Friday and Boxing Day, many of the cellphone deals on offer were noticeably weaker than the year before, with fewer “wow” discounts and less aggressive pricing. The shift suggests telecom companies may be looking to move away from deep promos and focus more on boosting revenue and profits again.

The CPI does not reflect what Canadians actually pay on their monthly bills, but analysts say it still offers a useful signal of where the market is heading. After years of intense competition, pricing pressure appears to be easing.

Wireless prices last rose year over year in April 2023, shortly after Rogers completed its takeover of Shaw Communications and sold Freedom Mobile to Quebecor’s Videotron. Since then, Freedom Mobile has helped keep prices lower, thanks to federal conditions requiring it to offer plans at least 20%  cheaper than comparable offerings from the major carriers for a 10-year period.

That competition pushed larger data buckets and features like Canada-U.S.-Mexico calling into more affordable plans. But with slower immigration reducing the number of new wireless subscribers, telcos may no longer feel the same need to undercut each other.

At the same time, StatsCan data shows Canadians are spending more on telecom services overall, with household spending rising almost every quarter. The gap exists because CPI tracks listed prices and promotions, not real bills. Short-term discounts and added data count as price cuts, even if total monthly costs continue to climb. In the past, others have disputed how the claim by StatsCan that wireless prices are falling.

It is possible to get a good cellphone deal in Canada if you know where to look. Any premium flagship plan from Rogers, Telus or Bell will cost you, especially if you’re lured into a new phone deal.

If you’re willing to look beyond the big-name plans, flanker brands like Public Mobile, Fido, Virgin Plus and Koodo still offer cheaper bring-your-own-device options. Even Freedom Mobile can be significantly less expensive when a promotion is running. Just look at past examples like the Telus Reddit deal. The catch is that you have to know where to look and when to act. Most people do not have the time or awareness to track these offers, which is why many end up paying more or getting pulled into bundled packages that include internet, TV, streaming, or home phone services.