The CRTC last week asked Bell, Rogers and Telus to make available as soon as possible new international roaming offerings the big three telecoms have told the commission they are planning to introduce, and to ensure these new offerings are easily found on their websites.
In response to an October 2024 letter from the CRTC calling on the telecoms to reduce international roaming fees and provide more flexible options, Bell, Rogers and Telus reported to the commission they have introduced or plan to introduce new international roaming offerings that include:
- monthly plans for roaming in the U.S., Mexico and other locations, providing more affordable roaming offerings for Canadians travelling for longer periods;
- roaming packages of different durations with weekly or monthly rates, instead of only daily rates;
- travel passes to specific regions, such as 14 days in Europe or seven days in the Caribbean, which can be purchased as add-ons and result in lower daily rates; and
- family roaming plans that provide discounts for additional family members, making trips more affordable for families travelling together.
Bell and its flanker Virgin Plus, for example, recently introduced time-limited roaming deals for families travelling on March Break and spring getaways.
The CRTC said in a letter last week to the big three telecoms that it “is encouraged by some of the steps taken to deliver more choice for Canadians” but “it is calling on the companies to ensure that they continue to make progress on reducing roaming fees.”
The commission said it expects Bell, Rogers and Telus to make their new international roaming offerings available to customers as soon as possible and to ensure they are easily accessible on their websites.
The CRTC is also directing the three companies to file progress reports with the commission on May 5, 2025 and Nov. 5, 2025, which are to include a list of all new international roaming offerings that have been launched since the commission’s October 2024 letter, with information on price and consumer uptake of each offering.
Furthermore, the CRTC said it is concerned the new international roaming offerings do not include affordable pay-per-use options. “When travelling abroad, Canadians may require access to banking and other online services that send text messages to authenticate their identity. These text messages might not be received without paying for a full day of roaming or other high usage fees,” the commission’s letter stated.
“The Commission expects Canadians to be able to access pay-per-use options for low-data use activities, such as receiving authentication messages, at affordable rates,” the letter said.
Therefore, the commission is directing Bell, Rogers and Telus to explain in their May 2025 progress report “how they intend to address concerns about the lack of affordable pay-per-use international roaming options” and “how they plan to market and promote their new international roaming offerings, as well as ensure their offerings are easily found on their websites, so that Canadians are aware of their options.”
The CRTC said it will continue to actively monitor the availability of affordable and flexible roaming options and it is prepared to launch a formal public proceeding if the three telecoms do not take sufficient action.
