Data plans, usage and fees
Some plans for cell phones and other mobile devices limit the amount of data you can use. If you use all of your data, you may be charged fees for additional data use. This page can help you better understand these fees and how to avoid them.
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Data plans
Cell phone service providers typically offer a variety of data plans. The price of these plans may depend on the amount of data that is included. Many service providers also offer plans with unlimited data. But even with unlimited plans, the speed at which you can use data may slow down significantly after you use a certain amount of data.
Family and shared plans
The data included with this type of plan can be shared between multiple family members and their devices, such as smartphones and tablets. Usually, there is only one bill for all the devices that share the plan.
Additional data fees
If your plan limits the amount of data you can use, you may have to pay extra if you go past that limit. These are called overage fees and can add up quickly. The amount charged will vary between service providers. Usually, it will be shown on your bill as a data overage charge.
Under the CRTC’s Wireless Code, service providers cannot charge you more than $50 in overage fees per billing cycle unless you explicitly agree to pay more. Most service providers will notify you by text message or email when you are close to reaching your data limit.
Monitoring your data usage can help you avoid these fees. You can often view your data usage on the website or app of your cell phone service provider.
How to monitor and reduce data usage
Reduce data usage by connecting to a Wi-Fi network
If you use the Internet when you are not connected to a Wi-Fi network, your phone uses data from your cell phone plan. When you are connected to a Wi-Fi network, the data usage on your device does not count toward your data limit.
Check your account details
Your online account gives you access to important information. For example:
- the device or devices associated with your plan;
- your data limit;
- how much data you’ve used and how much you have left; and
- the activities you perform that consume data.
Many service providers also offer the following:
- A data usage calculator: This lets you figure out how much data you expect to use in a billing period.
- Customizable text or email alerts: For example, you could ask to receive an alert when a certain amount of data has been used.
- Options to increase the amount of data in your plan: This can be useful if you find you are using more data than expected.
- Options to decrease the amount of data in your plan: If you consistently use less data than you are paying for, you may be able to save money by changing to a plan with a lower data limit.
Tracking your data usage regularly will help you adjust your habits to avoid extra charges. Most cell phones also have settings that you can change to restrict or prevent data usage. To learn how to do this, check the user manual for your device.
Purchase a travel data plan before you leave Canada
The data that you use in Canada when connected to your service provider’s wireless network is covered by your regular monthly plan. However, when you travel internationally and connect to other networks, data rates change.
See our tips on how to reduce data usage fees when travelling.
Related links
- What you should know about your devices and how they impact your services
- The Wireless Code, simplified
- Your consumer rights for cell phones
- International roaming fees
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