No More Bill Shock: CRTC’s New Rules Target Expiring Telecom Discounts

The CRTC is making it a little harder for your internet and phone providers to surprise you with massive bills, or what we’ve all learned over the years as ‘bill shock’.

Following new changes to the Telecommunications Act, the regulator is rolling out new rules designed to give Canadians more warning before their monthly costs jump.

Under the new requirements, service providers must now notify you before your contract, special discount, or promotion ends. These alerts aren’t just meant to be a heads-up. The CRTC is also forcing companies to include a list of currently available plans and instructions on how to switch to them.

The CRTC says the move is aimed at ‘bill shock’. You know, that lovely experience of opening your statement to find a promo has vanished and your price has spiked without you noticing.

Also, the CRTC says it is fighting international roaming costs as well. Companies must now send a notification the moment your international roaming data charges hit $50. This follows a separate recent decision that banned certain fees that made it expensive to cancel or change plans. You know what really should be offered? Let customers set their own caps on roaming spends, instead of having these daily roaming rates capped to a billing cycle.

“Canadians now have more choice for Internet and cellphone services at more affordable prices. We want everyone to choose the plans that work best for them. Today’s decision helps make sure Canadians can shop around and switch to a better deal by getting clear and timely notifications,” said Vicky Eatrides, Chairperson and Chief Executive Officer, CRTC, in a statement on Monday.

Looking ahead, the CRTC plans to merge its various consumer protection rules into one simplified code to make things less confusing. They are also looking into forcing companies to offer better self-serve options, so you can cancel or change your plan online without having to wait on hold with customer service for an hour.

We’ve recently seen Rogers increase roaming rates on select plans. There are global plans from Rogers, Telus and Bell, but they cost at least $85 or more per month. If you know how to shop for a deal, it’s possible to get a $40/month global roaming plan from Freedom Mobile with 50GB of monthly roaming data. That is a great deal for a true global roaming plan. But most Canadians find it hard to switch carriers or set up travel eSIMs, so they just pay roaming rates to incumbents.