Rogers and Fido recently raised their one-time connection fee to $70, sparking the interest of the CRTC. This change prompted the CRTC to request information from Ruth Altman, Director of Regulatory Consumer Policy at Rogers, regarding the amendments to the Telecommunications Act.

The new amendments, particularly Section 27.04 of the Telecommunications Act, aim to prevent telecom companies from charging fees for initiating or modifying a service plan. Additionally, it prohibits any fees that may discourage subscribers from changing their plans or canceling their contracts.

In response to Rogers’ increase in the service set-up fee from $60 to $70 for customers not using self-serve options on Rogers.com or Fido.ca, the CRTC has asked for clarification on how this change aligns with the new Act.

Rogers must submit a response by July 26, 2024, addressing these changes across all its brands and adhering to the Commission’s procedures for confidential information filing.

The letter was sent by Scott Hutton, Chief of Consumer and Research at the CRTC, and copied to Nanao Kachi, Director of Social and Consumer Policy at CRTC, as well as Rogers’ regulatory affairs team.

While it is uncertain if this request will lead to any changes, many are eager to see if Telus and Bell will also raise their connection fees in response. Stay tuned for updates!

Special thanks to @fanCRTCProfling for sharing this information with us.