But most said they find contracts clear and easy to understand
By Ahmad Hathout
Only 18 per cent of Canadians are aware of the CRTC’s consumer protection codes, which are intended to make contracts easier to understand for internet, wireless and TV services, according to a survey commissioned by the regulator and released recently.
The result, which comes from a 1,500-person nationwide representative survey by Phoenix SPI and conducted between October 24 and November 20, 2024, is largely unchanged since the baseline survey from 2022. The results are accurate to within plus/minus 2.5 per cent, 19 times out of 20.
Respondents were informed about what the codes are supposed to do before four per cent said they clearly recall them, 14 per cent said they vaguely recall, 80 per cent said they do not recall, and two per cent said they don’t know.
Despite this, the majority of survey respondents reported that their wireless, TV or internet contracts, displayed on service provider websites, were clear and easy to understand, with 21 per cent of television, 19 per cent of internet and 15 per cent of wireless subscribers filing a complaint in the past 12 months. The most common reasons for complaints across the three segments were quality of service and incorrect charges on their bills.
Two-thirds, 67 per cent, of respondents said their wireless and television contracts were clear and easy to understand, while 70 per cent said this about their internet contracts.
The commissioned report is part of the CRTC’s consultations to improve these codes, which includes combating bill shock and making it easier for Canadians to switch plans. The regulator plans to combine the three separate codes for wireless, internet and television services into one.
On switching wireless plans, the report found that 85 per cent of Canadians found switching service providers easy, while nine per cent found it difficult. The majority reported they have been with their service provider for two or more years, with the top reason being overall satisfaction.
Twenty-eight per cent said they switched providers in the last two years (up from 22 per cent in 2024), while 72 per cent said they have not. The top reason to switch was for a better deal, at 70 per cent, followed by dissatisfaction with the carrier at 30 per cent.
The report also touches on consumer habits when it comes to service consumption. Ninety-two per cent of Canadians are on a postpaid wireless plan in 2025, up from 89 per cent in 2024, and six per cent have a prepaid plan.
While the vast majority of wireless plans include calling minutes (86 per cent), text messaging (96 per cent) and data (91 per cent), 58 per cent of respondents from the Canadian territories said they were least likely to have calling minutes included in their plan.
Unlimited data plans have grown from 18 per cent in 2023 to 23 per cent in 2025 – up from 20 per cent last year. Despite this, limited data plans are still the most common type, at just over half of respondents at 56 per cent this year, compared to 61 per cent in 2024 – still down from a high of 69 per cent in 2020.
But Canadians are still consuming an increasing amount of data on a monthly basis, and that’s reflected in the plans they buy. This year, 32 per cent reported having at least 21 GB of data, compared to 26 per cent last year and 12 per cent in 2023.
Eight per cent reported having between 11 and 20 GB this year, down from 12 per cent last year; 24 per cent this year reported having between 21 and 99 GB, up from 21 per cent last year; and eight per cent reported 100 GB or more this year compared to five per cent last year.
Nearly three-quarters (72 per cent) of those on limited data plans said they use Wi-Fi when available to limit their data use.
The report also found that nine in 10 Canadians find it easy to manage their data use. The majority (86 per cent) reporting having not paid overage fees in the past 12 months, and 80 per cent said they have not experienced a surprisingly high bill during the last year. The 19 per cent who have experienced “bill shock” – most of which did not exceed $100 – remains unchanged since 2022, the survey found, with the top reason (25 per cent) being international travel.
The largest telecoms have been pushed by the CRTC to address international roaming fees. In March, the regulator asked Rogers, Bell and Telus to make available as soon as possible new international roaming plans they have already pitched or put in the market to help reduce surprise billing.
Still, most Canadians (69 per cent) have not paid international roaming fees in the past 12 months, the survey found, and a little over half of respondents (56 per cent) reported finding it easy to manage roaming charges when traveling, an increase from 51 per cent in 2024.
How Canadians get their devices
The purchase of new phones from wireless service providers has also decreased steadily since 2019, when 63 per cent reported getting a new device. In 2025, 36 per cent reported purchasing a new phone, 47 per cent reported bringing their own devices, and 14 per cent said they were renting or leasing from their provider, up from 10 per cent in 2024.
Residents in British Columbia (56 per cent) and Ontario (51 per cent) were more likely than those in Quebec (38 per cent) and the Prairies (42 per cent) to bring their own device, while residents in Quebec (42 per cent) were more likely to buy a new phone compared to Ontario (33 per cent) and BC (30 per cent) or rent a phone (19 per cent compared to 13 per cent of Ontarians).
Canadians are also less likely to finance a new phone purchase through a monthly balance (otherwise known as a tab balance contract), with only 27 per cent in 2025 compared to a high of 51 per cent in 2021. Ontarians were more likely to go that route (37 per cent) compared to 21 per cent in BC and 24 per cent in the Prairies and 18 per cent in Quebec.
Device rental or return plans are increasing, however, from 11 per cent in 2022 to 27 per cent in 2025.
Meanwhile, 24 per cent are receiving a discount on a new device when buying from their wireless provider, down from a high of 42 per cent in 2019, with 20 per cent of Ontarians and 29 per cent of Quebecers reporting getting a discount this year. Seventeen per cent of Canadians paid their device in full this year, down from 20 per cent in 2024.
Last month, Bell introduced what it calls a “value conscious” smartphone to entice buyers who don’t need any extra bells and whistles. Customers can buy the phone outright for $270 or, for a limited time, buy it for $24 over two years with the purchase of an eligible plan with the telco.
The move comes as Canadians prioritize other needs in a higher cost-of-living economy compounded by uncertainty in a tariff war with the United States.
Television and internet
For television, 35 per cent of respondents said they are aware of a TV provider’s basic service package, with 49 per cent unaware and 16 per cent uncertain.
Two-thirds, or 21 per cent, have filed a complaint about their TV services over the past 12 months, with the top reason being quality of service, at 46 per cent. That was followed by 30 per cent who complained of incorrect charges on their bill and 15 per cent who complained of changes to prices or channel package without notice.
Similarly, two-thirds of respondents, or 19 per cent, said they filed a complaint about their internet services in the last 12 months. The top complaint, at 63 per cent, was quality of service, followed by incorrect charges on their bill at 16 per cent and the legitimacy or amount of early cancellation fees at eight per cent.
