The CRTC has notified Telus that it must immediately stop selling locked cellphones, after the commission became aware the Vancouver-based telecom has been selling its customers phones that are locked for up to 60 days after purchase.
In a letter Tuesday, the CRTC also directed Telus to unlock, free of charge, any cellphone still locked to its network and notify affected customers that it has done so.
This missive to Telus follows a similar one sent to Bell in late November in which the CRTC directed Bell to stop its practice of selling locked phones — a practice the Montreal-headquartered telco had adopted in April.
“As you are likely aware, Bell Canada and its flanker brand Virgin Plus (collectively, Bell) have also been engaging in this practice since April 2025,” the CRTC’s letter to Telus says. “The Commission determined that this practice is non-compliant with the Wireless Code’s device unlocking rules as set out in the 28 November 2025 Secretary General letter to Bell.”
The CRTC letter reminded Telus that all wireless service providers are responsible for remaining compliant with the Wireless Code at all times, and directed Telus to take immediate action to come into compliance with the Code.
