Cheaper Cell Phone Packages Coming Soon to Halton

It’s no secret that Canadians pay a lot more than the rest of the world for cellphone packages.

Now, it looks like some relief is on the way.

It’s no secret that Canadians pay a lot more than the rest of the world for cellphone packages.

Now, it looks like some relief is on the way.

The Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (better known as the CRTC) recently announced that Canadians will soon have more “innovative and affordable options” for mobile wireless services.

The country’s cell phone service providers–Bell Mobility, Rogers and Telus–have, according to the CRTC, committed to offer a broad range of lower-cost data-only mobile wireless plans to Canadians within the next 90 days.

It might be a late Christmas present, but it will certainly be a welcome one. 

The CRTC says the national wireless providers will introduce a variety of lower-cost data-only plans that were not previously available in the market.

The plans will range from as low as $15 for 250 MB to $30 for 1GB of monthly data, with a mix of prepaid and postpaid options, on both the 3G and LTE networks.

The CRTC says it will monitor the implementation and availability of these plans over the coming months to ensure that the national wireless providers honour their commitments.

“Canadians deserve to have access to a wide range of mobile wireless plans in the market,” says Ian Scott, Chairperson and CEO of the CRTC.

“While the new lower-cost data-only plans represent a step in the right direction and provide more choice for Canadians, we remain concerned by the overall condition of the market. To this end, the review we will launch next year will look at the state of mobile wireless competition more broadly.”

Back in March 2018, the CRTC said that there was a gap in the wireless market for lower-cost data-only plans. Earlier this year, the CRTC said it would review mobile wireless services in early 2019.

Following the review, the agency says it will determine if further action needs to be taken to make wireless services more affordable. 

The CRTC said it expects that the national wireless providers’ plans will remain in place at least until the end of the wireless review that is set to begin in early 2019. Some providers will offer discounts or increased data allowances on their lower-cost data-only wireless plans for Canadians with disabilities.

Going forward, Bell Mobility, Rogers and Telus must report back to the CRTC every six months with information about their data-only wireless plans, including demand and marketing efforts.