Telus wants the CRTC to scrap Canada’s $100 data roaming cap, arguing the consumer protection is no longer necessary as more Canadians switch to travel plans with predictable roaming charges.
While the carrier submitted its intervention to the CRTC back in mid-August, a closer look at the filing by iPhone in Canada reveals more about the changes Telus wants, including removing roaming limits, allowing longer smartphone financing terms and bringing back temporary phone locking.
The filing is part of the CRTC’s ongoing review of Canada’s consumer protection rules for cellphone, internet, home phone and television services.
Under current rules, carriers must stop charging customers for data roaming once charges reach $100 during a billing cycle, unless the customer agrees to pay more. The limit also applies to daily roaming packages.
Telus argues the cap is outdated because many Canadians now have plans that include international roaming or offer predictable daily travel rates. The carrier wants to replace the spending limit with notifications, allowing customers to continue using roaming data without having to approve additional charges.
Telus says the current system can leave travellers without access to maps, translation apps, banking and ride-sharing services when they reach the limit. But removing the cap would also mean customers could continue racking up roaming charges without having to approve additional spending.
The request comes after the CRTC announced new roaming notification rules earlier this year. Starting April 13, 2027, carriers must notify customers when their data roaming charges reach $50, halfway to the existing limit.
Telus argues those notifications, combined with fixed-price roaming plans, make the $100 cap unnecessary.
Right now, Telus limits full speed roaming to 5GB per day, just like Bell. Rogers has not implemented this daily roaming cap (yet).
As we’ve previously reported, Telus has also been pushing the CRTC to allow carriers to temporarily lock subsidized or financed phones for 60 days to help prevent theft and fraud.
Canadian carriers have generally been required to sell unlocked phones since December 2017. Telus argues temporary locking would make stolen devices less attractive to criminals, while customers would be free to switch carriers once the 60 days are up.
Bell has made a similar case, claiming its 60-day phone locks have nearly eliminated in-store robberies.
None of these proposals has been approved as part of the CRTC’s broader review of consumer protection rules. A public hearing is scheduled to begin November 30, 2026.
Would you support removing the $100 roaming cap, or should the existing protection stay in place?
Thanks Marc
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