Bell, Rogers and Telus Face a Test Over New Fees
Matthew Leo · Published August 6, 2026 · Business & Policy
A phone fee does not become harmless just because a carrier gives it a new name.
That is the issue at the centre of a Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission proceeding involving Bell, Rogers and Telus. New federal protections took effect on June 12, 2026, banning fees tied to activating or changing a telecom plan. The CRTC says several carrier charges may break that rule. The companies say the charges pay for separate products or services.
No violation has been decided. But the case will show whether Canada's new protection removes a real cost or simply sends it to another line on the bill.
The fees under review
The CRTC opened its proceeding on June 30. Its notice lists five kinds of charges:
- Bell's $40 device-handling charge when a customer buys a phone with wireless service;
- Telus's $15 charge for a physical SIM or eSIM;
- Rogers' $40 device-setup charge in assisted sales channels;
- Rogers' $25 shipping charge for a device ordered online; and
- a Rogers fee for some replacement physical SIM cards.
These details come from the regulator's notice and the carrier responses included in the public record. They are not a final finding.
The companies' basic argument is that these costs are not plan fees. Bell says buying a device is optional and separate from entering a service contract. Telus says a SIM can be bought for reasons such as travel or replacing a damaged card. Rogers says assisted setup, shipping and replacement SIMs are separate services or products that reflect real costs.
Why the names do not settle the matter
The rule does allow reasonable charges for products or optional services that a customer clearly chooses. A technician visiting a home to install equipment can also be different from clicking a switch in a billing system.
The hard question is whether a customer can realistically start or change service without paying the disputed fee. A SIM is small, but wireless service normally needs one. A phone purchase may be optional, but many customers get a device and service together because that is how carrier financing is sold.
If a required step can be moved outside the plan and billed as a product, the protection may have little practical effect. If every related cost is banned, carriers may raise device prices or remove useful assisted service. The CRTC has to draw a line that customers and carriers can understand.
What happens next
The deadline for public interventions was July 30. Carrier replies are due August 10. The CRTC will then decide whether any fee violates the Telecommunications Act, the Wireless Code or its March policy.
If it finds a violation, the regulator says it may consider administrative monetary penalties. The maximum listed in the proceeding is $10 million for a company and $25,000 for a relevant officer or director. A maximum is not a forecast. Any amount would depend on factors such as the scope of the violation, compliance history and the benefit obtained.
The CRTC could also order a company to stop charging a prohibited fee within 60 days. Until a decision arrives, customers should not treat the allegations as proof that a carrier broke the law.
What customers can do now
Before accepting a new phone or internet offer, ask for the complete one-time cost in writing. Check the first bill against the quote. Keep the order confirmation, screenshots and chat transcript.
If an unexpected charge appears, contact the provider first and ask what product or service the fee bought. If the answer does not match the sale, ask for a correction. Customers who cannot resolve a telecom billing complaint can contact the Commission for Complaints for Telecom-television Services.
It is also worth comparing the full price, not just the monthly plan. A carrier with a slightly cheaper rate may cost more after setup, shipping and device charges are added. Bring-your-own-device plans can avoid some costs, but customers should still ask about SIM or eSIM charges.
Mapletechie's Business & Policy coverage follows these rules because small wording changes can have large effects on ordinary bills.
The larger test
Canada's telecom market has spent years training people to expect a maze of one-time fees, credits and exceptions. A clear ban should make shopping simpler. It will fail if a customer needs a lawyer to know which setup cost is allowed.
The fairest outcome is not necessarily that every service around a phone must be free. It is that a mandatory cost cannot hide behind optional language, and an optional service must be genuinely optional.
The CRTC's decision will matter beyond these five charges. It will tell every provider how much room remains between the price in an advertisement and the price a customer must actually pay.