It was probably only a matter of time, but the CRTC has now turned its attention to new device setup charges and SIM fees that Rogers is charging customers, following the telecom regulator’s ban on activation fees that took effect June 12.
The CRTC has already taken Rogers competitors Bell and Telus to task over new fees those two telcos recently introduced that the commission has said do not appear to fall under the exemption for optional services and products in its new policy prohibiting fees for activating, modifying and cancelling mobile and internet plans.
In a June 16 letter to Rogers, Nanao Kachi, the CRTC’s director of social and consumer policy, wrote: “Today, on 16 June 2026, Rogers has begun charging customers new fees that would similarly appear to not fall under the exemption, specifically, the $40 device setup charge, the $25 shipping charge, and the unspecified SIM fee.”
On Rogers’s website, under “See full details” at the bottom of individual phone detail pages, the company states: “For specialist-assisted device purchases (including in-store, over the phone and live chat), a Device Setup Charge of $40 applies to setup your device. For self-serve device purchases on rogers.com, a $25 shipping charge applies.”
Further details about the charges are provided on Rogers’s billing and accounts webpage under “charge definitions.” The “Device Setup Charge” is defined as a “One-time charge applied to the optional purchase of a device including Smartphones, Tablets and Watches. This charge is for device setup provided to customers when they make an optional device purchase. Customers can visit a store within 30-days of purchase to get support with their device setup.”
Under “SIM Fee,” Rogers says: “If you’ve ordered a new SIM card for your phone, you may have a SIM Fee on your bill to cover the cost of the SIM card.”
And under “Shipping fee,” it says: “Customers who select ship to home for their device or physical SIM will be charged the Shipping fee.”
In his letter addressed to Howard Slawner, Rogers’s vice president of regulatory for telecom, the CRTC’s Kachi asks him to “confirm whether Rogers intends to cease its new practice of charging its customers a device setup or shipping charge.”
“If Rogers does not cease this practice, explain why and provide supporting rationale as to why Rogers considers this practice to be in compliance with the exemption for optional services and products set out in the above-noted policy, or in compliance with the policy more generally,” Kachi’s letter continues.
Rogers has been given until June 18 to reply to the CRTC’s request for information.
In a statement to Cartt, a Rogers spokesperson said: “The device setup charge is applied to the optional purchase of a device including Smartphones, Tablets and Watches. This charge is for device setup provided to customers when they make an optional device purchase, in line with CRTC rules.”
The company spokesperson added that the SIM fee referenced by the CRTC is, contrary to the regulator’s framing, not new and not related to activation. “It’s to replace a lost or damaged SIM,” the spokesperson said. “The shipping fee is also not new and covers costs to ship devices.”
On the latter and, in response to an inquiry from Cartt, the CRTC pointed out that the policy only allows for “reasonable fees” to be charged. Because shipping fees are charged when a customer purchases a new device when signing up for a service and because the Telecommunications Act prohibits fees related to the activation of a service plan, “CRTC staff asked Rogers to explain why it considers those fees to be in compliance with the exemption for optional services and products,” a CRTC spokesperson told us.
“The CRTC will consider Rogers’ explanation in determining whether those fees are compliant and whether further, more formal, regulatory action is required to ensure compliance with these consumer protections,” the spokesperson added.
