CRTC Warns Bell, Telus on $40 and $15 Crtc Bell Telus Fee Warning
The crtc bell telus fee warning landed after the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission’s ban on activation fees took effect June 12. Bell and Telus still had new replacement charges on their websites that day, and the regulator warned those fees may also break the rules.
Bell had replaced its connection fee with a $40 device handling charge in May. Telus later added a $15 SIM charge, while Bell’s Virgin Plus and Telus’ Koodo brands carried the same new fees.
CRTC rule on activation fees
The CRTC announced in March 2026 that it would prohibit fees that discourage Canadians from switching plans. The Telecommunications Act was amended to bar service providers from charging fees tied to the activation or modification of a telecommunications service plan, and it also blocks other fees meant mainly to discourage a subscriber from modifying a plan or cancelling a telecommunications contract.
The commission also built in an exemption for reasonable charges, including those tied to the physical installation of services at a customer’s home. That leaves room for some service-related costs, but not for fees the CRTC says are designed to keep customers from changing plans or walking away.
Bell and Telus charges
The regulator sent letters to Bell and Telus saying the new charges may also violate the rules because they are for products required to provide telecom services. It urged both companies to resolve the issue before the commission needed to use regulatory intervention.
At the time of writing, Bell and Telus had not removed the charges from their websites. Freedom Mobile, by contrast, removed the $45 connection fee it had charged before the ban took effect.
What customers face now
For customers, the immediate issue is whether carriers can still add separate charges when a plan changes or a new line starts. The CRTC’s new framework says those fees cannot be used to discourage switching, and the letters to Bell and Telus put the burden on the carriers to adjust their pricing or defend it under the rules.
Freedom also dropped its Roam Beyond fee and a new prepaid fee, according to MobileSyrup, which said it could confirm the changes. Freedom had charged a $30 fee for early cancellation of plans that include Roam Beyond data, and those plans require a three-month subscription. The carriers that kept replacement fees in place now face the clearest test of how far the ban reaches after June 12.
