Canada’s activation fee ban is here, some carriers aren’t playing by the rules

Effectively, the day is lastly right here. The Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Fee’s (CRTC) new guidelines prohibiting activation charges at the moment are in impact. A number of Canadian carriers have now eliminated varied charges, whereas some have tried to introduce new charges as a way to work across the new guidelines.

First, a refresher on the foundations. The fee announced in March 2026 that it will prohibit charges that discourage Canadians from switching plans.

Particularly, the CRTC amended the Telecommunications Act to ban service suppliers from charging charges “associated to the activation or modification of a telecommunications service plan, or another price whose essential function is, within the opinion of the Fee, to discourage subscribers from modifying their service plan or cancelling their contract for telecommunications companies.”

Nonetheless, the fee additionally included exemptions to the rule for “affordable charges,” for instance, these associated to the bodily set up of companies at a buyer’s residence.

In different phrases, issues just like the $80 connection price clients needed to pay when switching carriers are not allowed, however carriers can nonetheless cost for putting in a brand new web line at your house. Furthermore, carriers can nonetheless cost charges for non-compulsory, extra services or products that clients select to buy.

The brand new guidelines additionally prohibit some cancellation charges, although it’s price noting that cancellation charges should apply in sure instances. For instance, clients who finance a tool and cancel early will nonetheless must repay the rest of their financing settlement.

Carriers that added new charges

I’ll maintain this part quick since we’ve already written about these carriers at size, however thus far, Bell and Telus have responded to the brand new price guidelines by introducing new prices for patrons. Bell replaced its connection fee with a $40 device handling charge in Might, and simply this week, Telus replaced its connection fee with a $15 SIM charge. These charges additionally apply to Bell’s Virgin Plus and Telus’ Koodo manufacturers.

The CRTC responded to each Bell and Telus with letters indicating the brand new charges might also violate the foundations, as the brand new charges are for merchandise which might be required to offer telecom companies. The fee inspired each carriers to resolve the scenario earlier than it wanted to resort to regulatory intervention.

On the time of writing, each Bell and Telus nonetheless had their new prices on their respective web sites. It stays to be seen whether or not both service will change course or if the CRTC will transfer forward with regulatory intervention.

Carriers which have eliminated charges

As of June 12, a number of carriers that beforehand charged connection charges have now eliminated them. In some instances, carriers have eliminated extra charges as properly.

Freedom Cellular

Freedom Cellular has eliminated the $45 connection price it beforehand charged. Point out of the price has been stripped from the service’s web site as of June 12.

Apparently, a Reddit post notes some additional fees that were removed or altered, together with the {hardware} improve price for present clients who get a brand new telephone, the $30 Roam Past price, a pay as you go price, and an in-store SIM swap price. MobileSyrup wasn’t capable of independently confirm the modifications to the {hardware} improve price or in-store SIM swap price, however can verify the removing of the Roam Past price and the brand new pay as you go price.

Beforehand, Freedom charged a $30 price for early cancellation of plans which embody Roam Past knowledge. These plans require a minimal three-month subscription, and Freedom would charge $30 to customers who cancel early. Nonetheless, that price is not listed on Freedom’s web site, although the Roam Past plans nonetheless require a three-month subscription.

Freedom’s $10 partial top-up price for on-line pay as you go orders.

As for the pay as you go price, Freedom is charging a $10 partial top-up fee for on-line pay as you go activations. It’s not fully clear why Freedom is charging this price, and the Reddit put up highlighting it claims Freedom will credit score the price again to clients on their first top-up. The Reddit put up additionally says the price doesn’t apply to in-store activations, however MobileSyrup can solely verify that Freedom prices the $10 partial top-up for on-line orders.

Rogers and Fido

Subsequent up are Rogers and its flanker model Fido. Each suppliers used to charge an $80 connection fee (or, as they known as it, a “Service Set Up Payment”). As of June 12, this price was quietly faraway from each suppliers’ web sites.

On the time of writing, MobileSyrup wasn’t conscious of another price modifications for Rogers or Fido. Rogers does have a number of assist pages itemizing varied charges clients may see on their payments, together with general charges, wireless charges, and administrative fees. Most of those don’t seem to fall beneath the brand new guidelines.

Different suppliers

It’s price noting that there are many suppliers that already didn’t cost activation charges previous to the brand new guidelines, together with a number of pay as you go suppliers like Public Cellular, Fortunate Cellular, and Chatr Cellular. Nonetheless, a few of these suppliers nonetheless cost for SIM playing cards.

Telus-owned Public Cellular is presently providing a $0 eSIM for brand spanking new activations, however the supplier’s web site clearly notes that it is a limited-time supply and that eSIMs normally value $5. It additionally notes that bodily SIMs value $15. Furthermore, Public charges customers $5 to generate a new eSIM, relatively than permitting clients to switch present eSIMs to a brand new machine.

Fortunate Cellular’s SIM charges.

Bell’s Fortunate Cellular and Rogers’ Chatr Cellular, then again, each supply $0 eSIM activations. Nonetheless, clients who need or want a bodily SIM should pay a $10 price.

It stays to be seen if this violates the brand new guidelines round required merchandise. Whereas it might be argued that the bodily SIM card is an ‘non-compulsory’ product and thus exempt from the price guidelines, many individuals nonetheless have units that don’t assist eSIM. In these instances, the bodily SIM is not an non-compulsory product, and charging for one may due to this fact violate the foundations.

Lastly, government-owned SaskTel doesn’t cost an activation price.