CRTC to ban locking cellphones and charging unlocking fees in Canada

Big Changes Coming to Canada as CRTC Bans Cellphone Unlocking Fees

06/18/2017 Comments Off on Big Changes Coming to Canada as CRTC Bans Cellphone Unlocking Fees Mobile News Like

A big announcement was made earlier this week stating that Canadians will no longer be forced to pay cellphone unlocking fees come December 1, 2017.

Thanks to a new mandate made by the CRTC, later this year Canadians can finally say goodbye to having to pay to have their phone’s unlocked as well as some other outrageous Telecom fees. With the CRTC updating the Wireless Code this is a very positive step in the right direction and more beneficial for wireless cellphone plan consumers.

For many years now, most Canadians have had gripes about having to pay for unlocking a phone that they rightfully own. It’s widely seen as a form of unfair extortion to have to pay money just to switch from one carrier to another. It’s a form of being held hostage and cellphone unlocking has also earned Canadian Telecoms a whopping total of $37.7 million in profit just last year alone.

Throughout the years many Canadians have spoken their mind about this, some in outrage, and the CRTC has been listening and decided it’s time for change.

Come this December not only will all wireless consumers, whether individual or business, be able to have their smartphones unlocked at zero cost, going forward from the effective date no Telecom companies will legally be allowed to force the locking newly purchased devices.

Another decision the CRTC made, which has immediately come into effect earlier this week, is no more free-for-all family plans. What this means is Telecom companies are now forced to put a cap on crazy data overage fees as well as charges for international roaming. Unless the consumer gives full consent, a Canadian Telecom company will not be able to invoice the wireless consumer for monthly bills exceeding $50 in data overage fees or $100 for international roaming charges.

For example, in some cases parents have received mobile bills of exorbitant amounts because a child simply typed “Yes” in a text reply to companies like Telus, Bell, or Rogers in order to purchase additional data usage. This will no longer be the case or something that parents will need to worry about. The main account holder will have the option to allow other people on the plan to consent to overages, but it will no longer be the default where anyone on the family plan can do so without such consent.

Furthermore, Canadians with disabilities will be granted longer trial periods of 30 days for any new voice, text, or data plans they sign up for.