Switch Internet Providers Without Paying for Two Services
Matthew Leo · Published August 31, 2026 · Guides
Switching internet providers in Canada should not require a farewell call to your old company if the new provider is handling the transfer. The CRTC has long required telecommunications providers to accept cancellation requests from a prospective new provider acting on a customer’s behalf, and a current CRTC process is revisiting how those cancellation requests work when wireless providers also sell internet service.
The practical problem for consumers is simpler: nobody wants to discover that the old connection was never cancelled after the new one went live.
Decide who is sending the cancellation
When ordering the new service, ask one direct question: “Are you cancelling my existing internet service on my behalf?” Do not assume a salesperson saying they will “handle the switch” necessarily answers it.
If the new provider confirms it will submit the cancellation, ask what information it needs and keep the order confirmation. CRTC rules allow a prospective provider to act as the customer’s agent in service transfers, subject to confirming the customer’s authority.
If the new provider is not handling the cancellation, contact the old provider yourself and choose the effective cancellation date. Under the Internet Code, customers can cancel at any time and can select a future cancellation date.
Do not cancel too early
For most households, a small overlap is less painful than losing internet for several days. Wait until the new installation or activation date is firm before setting the old service to end.
This is especially important if you work from home, rely on internet calling, have security cameras or use connected medical or accessibility equipment.
Keep the cancellation evidence
Save the email, chat transcript or confirmation number showing who requested cancellation and the effective date. After the switch, check the old provider’s final bill rather than assuming autopay will sort itself out.
The Internet Code says providers must not charge for service that is not and cannot be provided after cancellation, and prepaid service fees following cancellation must be refunded on a prorated basis where applicable.
Watch bundles and equipment
Internet cancellation can affect television, home phone, mobile discounts and bundle pricing. Ask what happens to every service attached to the account before authorizing a transfer.
Also confirm how rented equipment must be returned. Keep the tracking receipt or in-store return confirmation. A perfectly executed service cancellation can still turn into an unpleasant bill if the provider thinks its modem disappeared.
What the CRTC is considering now
The CRTC has listed a decision for the week of August 31 on cancellation requests for internet services provided by wireless service providers. The issue sits inside a broader effort to make switching and cancellation simpler for Canadians.
That follows other 2026 consumer-protection changes. Activation and modification fees that act as barriers to switching have been prohibited since June 12, while online self-service mechanisms for changing or cancelling plans are scheduled to take effect in April 2027.
The safest switching sequence is therefore straightforward: confirm who is cancelling, set the date only after the replacement service is firm, save proof, return equipment with a receipt and inspect the final bill. Most double-billing disputes become much easier when those five pieces are documented.
Sources: CRTC Broadcasting and Telecom Regulatory Policy 2011-191; CRTC Internet Code; CRTC anticipated releases for August 31–September 4, 2026.
Tags: internet, CRTC, Canada, consumer rights