CRTC takes action to help reduce roaming fees for Canadians

October 7, 2024 – Ottawa-Gatineau – Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC)

Today, the CRTC is taking action to help make cellphone use more affordable when Canadians travel internationally and within Canada.  

When it comes to international travel, the CRTC has heard that Canadians pay too much in roaming fees. The CRTC conducted a review to examine these fees. To inform the review, the CRTC obtained and analyzed confidential information from Canadian cellphone companies. It also considered the findings of a number of studies and reviewed public information on roaming.

The CRTC found that Canadians often end up paying high fees when roaming. Roaming fees for Canadian travelers are often inflexible, causing consumers to pay a flat fee of $10 to $16 per day regardless of how much they use their cellphone. The CRTC’s priority is to ensure that Canadians have the flexibility to choose an affordable plan that best meets their needs.

To address these concerns, the CRTC is calling on large cellphone companies to take immediate action to provide affordable roaming options. Companies must inform the CRTC by November 4, 2024, of the concrete steps they are taking to respond to these concerns. If the CRTC finds that sufficient progress is not made, it will launch a formal public proceeding.

The CRTC is also taking steps to help make it more affordable for Canadians to travel within Canada. Domestic wholesale roaming rates are the fees that cellphone service providers pay when their customers travel outside of the provider’s coverage area. These fees are a key factor that providers use when setting prices for cellphone plans.

Many agreements that set the wholesale roaming rates between cellphone service providers are several years old with rates that do not reflect today’s market. The CRTC is therefore requiring providers to set new rates through timely negotiations with each other. If cellphone providers cannot come to an agreement, the CRTC will set the rates using a process known as final offer arbitration. The CRTC expects this will result in lower prices.

The CRTC will continue to actively monitor roaming rates.

Quote

“Canadians need to stay connected when they travel, but often come home to high cellphone bills. The CRTC is taking action to help reduce roaming fees and is ready to launch a formal public proceeding if Canadians’ concerns are not addressed.”

- Vicky Eatrides, Chairperson and Chief Executive Officer, CRTC

Quick facts

• The CRTC is an independent quasi-judicial tribunal that regulates the Canadian communications sector in the public interest. The CRTC holds public consultations on telecommunications and broadcasting matters and makes decisions based on the public record.
• Under the CRTC’s Wireless Code, service providers cannot charge more than $100 for domestic and international data roaming within a month or per billing cycle. Service providers must also notify users when they are roaming internationally.

Associated links

• Secretary General Letter - Telecom - Offering Canadians more competitive, flexible, and affordable international roaming options
• Comparative Analysis of International Mobile Wireless Roaming Rates of Canadian Wireless Service Providers and International Counterparts
• Telecom Decision CRTC 2024-233 – Wholesale roaming service – Review of rates and rate-setting approach
• Telecom Information Bulletin CRTC 2024-234 – Practice and procedure for final offer arbitration to determine wholesale roaming rates
• Telecom Notice of Consultation CRTC 2024-235 – Show cause and call for comments – Available footprint for Bell Mobility Inc. and TELUS Communications Inc.’s wholesale roaming services