Telecom - Secretary General Letter addressed to the Distribution List
Ottawa, 7 October 2024
BY E-MAIL
Distribution list
Subject: Secretary General Letter - Telecom - Offering Canadians more competitive, flexible, and affordable international roaming options
Dear Philippe Gauvin, Howard Slawner, and Kaitlin Mackenzie:
The Commission is committed to ensuring that Canadians can access affordable and high-quality Internet and cellphone services.
As part of its work, the Commission conducted a review to examine the fees that Canadians pay when they travel internationally. To inform this review, the Commission 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 both in Canada and internationally. The Commission found that:
- Canadians lack choice when roaming. In countries like the United States, Australia, and Germany, consumers can select plans tailored to their usage and duration of travel. Similar plans are not widely available from Canadian providers. This means that Canadians are typically charged the same daily fee when roaming, regardless of how much they use their phones.
- Roaming rates are high. Canadians often pay roaming rates that far exceed the fees Canadian providers pay foreign carriers to provide Canadians with connectivity. These rates can lead to a one-week trip more than doubling a consumer’s monthly bill.
To address these concerns, the Commission is calling on Canada’s large cellphone companies to take immediate action to reduce roaming fees. The Commission’s priority is to ensure that Canadians have the flexibility to choose an affordable plan that best meets their needs.
The Commission expects Bell Mobility Inc., Rogers Communications Canada Inc., and TELUS Communications Inc. to report back by 4 November 2024 on the concrete steps they are taking to respond to these concerns. If the Commission finds that sufficient action is not taken, it will launch a formal public proceeding.
The Commission reminds all service providers that the Wireless Code establishes a $100 cap on data roaming charges in a single monthly billing cycle. This cap includes all amounts paid by customers for fixed daily rate roaming options that include data, and plans that allow the consumer to use their phone abroad as they would at home.
We appreciate your attention and timely action. If you have any questions, please contact Leila Wright, Executive Director of Telecommunications, at Leila.Wright@crtc.gc.ca.
Sincerely,
Marc Morin
Secretary General, CRTC
c.c.:
Leila Wright, Executive Director, Telecommunications, Leila.Wright@crtc.gc.ca
Scott Hutton, Chief of Consumer, Analytics and Strategy, Scott.Hutton@crtc.gc.ca
Distribution List
Bell Mobility Inc., bell.regulatory@bell.ca
Rogers Communications Canada Inc., regulatory@rci.rogers.com
TELUS Communications Inc., regulatory.affairs@telus.com
- Date modified: