Telus is asking the CRTC to let carriers lock new phones to their network for up to 60 days after purchase, and the company says it plans to start doing it on July 30 whether or not the regulator signs off first.
The carrier filed a Part 1 application with the CRTC on May 22, laying out its case for changing the Wireless Code. Right now the Code forces carriers to sell devices unlocked, a rule that came into effect back in late 2017. Telus wants that changed so it can put a temporary 60-day lock on subsidized or financed phones, with the device automatically unlocking for free once the two months are up.
The reason, according to Telus, is a big jump in device theft and subscription fraud since the unlocking rules kicked in. The company argues that unlocked phones have basically turned into cash. A premium iPhone or Galaxy can be resold anywhere in the world the second it walks out of a store, which makes them a magnet for organized crime, everything from smash-and-grab robberies at cellphone shops to fraudsters opening accounts with stolen IDs and disappearing with a $0-down phone.
Telus points at Bell
A big chunk of the application focuses on Bell. Telus says Bell started locking its own devices for up to 60 days in early 2025, and that move has left everyone else exposed.
The argument goes like this: if Bell phones are harder to flip because they’re locked, criminals just move on to the carriers that leave devices unlocked. Telus says that means fraud is getting funnelled straight to it and the other carriers who still unlock from day one. The company calls this a competitive imbalance and says it’s stuck on different regulatory footing than Bell.
Here’s the twist though. The CRTC already told Bell no. When Bell went to the Commission last year asking to lock phones and to kick off a review of the unlocking rules, the regulator turned it down. In a November 2025 letter, the CRTC said Bell “has not demonstrated that the practice of locking cellphones for up to 60 days after purchase is a necessary and proportionate response in [that] case.”
Telus says it can’t see Bell’s actual application since it isn’t public, but the company believes its own evidence is strong enough to get a different result. Basically, Telus wants the Commission to either let everyone lock phones for 60 days, or at the very least fix the imbalance that Bell’s locking has created.
How the 60-day lock would work
Telus is framing this as a light-touch measure. Under its proposal:
The company points out that people rarely switch carriers in the first two months anyway, especially when they still owe money on the phone, so it argues the lock wouldn’t really get in anyone’s way.
Telus also leans on what’s happening in other countries. It notes the US FCC granted Verizon a waiver in January 2026 to lock phones after Verizon showed it was losing hundreds of thousands of devices to fraud. France and New Zealand allow short locking periods too, and Telus says the UK saw phone thefts spike after it banned locked handsets in 2021.
Telus says this is about protecting Canadians
A Telus spokesperson gave iPhone in Canada the following statement in regards to this filing sent our way, saying, “This application is about protecting Canadians from the growing risks of device theft, identity theft and subscription fraud. A 60-day device lock after a device sale – which would automatically unlock at no cost to the customer once the lock period ends – would help reduce organized theft, improve the safety of retail employees, and better protect Canadians from fraud that can leave innocent victims facing financial loss and damaged credit.”
“We urge the CRTC to amend the Wireless Code to better reflect today’s public safety and security landscape by permitting a 60-day device lock,” added the Telus spokesperson.
Telus is asking the CRTC to fast-track the interim part of its request. Whether the Commission bites, after already shutting down Bell, is the open question.
So what can you do? If you buy your new iPhone from Apple, it is unlocked right away. Buying from Telus (and its subsidiaries like Koodo) starting at the end of the month (unless you buy outright) will result in a phone that’s locked for 60 days.
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options are good, im ok with it being locked when im paying on a tab for only 60 days. otherwise just buy it from apple. the problems are when it comes with fees AFTER, or we have to call or do an action to unlock, it should be automatic. but i see the inconvenience for vacation
Tony is a delulu shill for the big three. Prove me wrong!
Better yet, prove yourself right.
No consequences for not following any of the performative legislation created by the government and CRTC. That’s the reality!
The bigger issue is these companies ignoring the regulator.
While far from perfect, the CRTC has (at least) limited what would most certainly be the more egregious efforts to gouge the consumer by these monoliths.
They offer ti unlock it 1 time for free.
Better yet if im liable for that phone and cant return it after 7 fays or 2 weeks 30 fays if you have a disability.
They I am obligated by contract to pay for itm locking the phone sure…
If I can return it in 60 days.
Better yet how come they charge half the price for a financed refurbished phone.
They are already paid for… they used ti give then to charities .
This is ridiculous.
False activations are theyre own fault.
They should be liable for the damage done to that person as well.
TELUS charges you more for 5g+ service and they done have the abilities to offer those speeds. Thats going to the crtc next.
They increased the rates and lef tno choice but to upgrade they offered for free but now I cant go back to my other plan.
Telecom better smarter up with the price gouging because cryc and competition bureau are only going to tolerate so much before they let at and t in. And telus already uses theyre network….
Simple fact is, if you finance the phone it’s not yours until it’s fully paid for, and the financier should be able to put whatever reasonable restrictions on it that they want. Auto dealerships are allowed to put a GPS device into a car that cannot be removed without invalidating the financing agreement. A mortgager puts a lien on a property. It should be no different with high-value electronics.
When has the CRTC ever actually regulated? Doesn’t matter what government is in power. It’s all about where the money goes and who bootlicks the most.
The cons would never have let this merger go ahead, so at least there are other options now, but come on already. Only in Canada are we forced to have absurd esim fees, shipping fees, bullshit unlocking rules. All for the CEOs who make far in excess of what the average person does in a year. Get fucked.
It is total BS. How’s a phone grabber to know to which carrier is the phone connected to? It is Telus’s ploy to stop new subscribers from switching to other carriers.
Telus claim is for the protection of customer, which is BS. Recently my husband got robbed of his phone. We have replacement insurance guess what the insurance is requesting a $400 non-refundable deposit before starting the process. Who are we protecting here, these company can do more to help customers especially when customer phones are stolen but the refused. Now they want to lock the phone. Give me a break
Not supporting at all 60days locking policy
rip off customers. Telus plans are too high even talk and text $35 even if you for vacation disconnect they charged $35