Canada’s Big 3 telecoms say they’ll offer more roaming options next year

A previous review by the CRTC found Canadian travellers often face "inflexible" roaming rates regardless of how much they use their cellphone abroad.

Canada’s Big 3 telecommunications companies say they’ve already taken action to reduce the cost of international roaming and plan to introduce more options for customers next year.

Bell Canada says it intends to give customers more flexibility when travelling abroad through options “tailored to their usage and travel duration, ultimately lowering their roaming fees,” starting in early 2025.

Last month, the CRTC called on Bell, Rogers Communications Inc. and Telus Corp. to detail the “concrete steps” they are taking to respond to concerns about rising cellphone fees that consumers face when travelling outside Canada.

The commission had warned the companies it would launch a formal public proceeding on the matter if they didn’t show “sufficient progress” on the matter. That came after Telus and Bell both raised their U.S. and international roaming rates in March 2023.

In their written responses submitted last week, the companies argued against the need for regulatory intervention, saying the international roaming rates they offer are already comparable with, or lower than, those offered by providers in other countries.

A previous review by the CRTC — which relied on confidential information from Canadian cellphone companies, along with studies and public information on roaming — found Canadian travellers often face “inflexible” roaming rates regardless of how much they use their cellphone abroad.