Do you think that roaming fees have gotten out of hand? You're not the only one, and the CRTC is here to help cut costs

The CRTC’s plan

As an independent, quasi-judicial tribunal that regulates the Canadian communications sector in the public interest, the CRTC holds public consultations on telecommunications and broadcasting matters, ultimately making decisions based on the public record.

According to a recent release, the organization has obtained and analyzed confidential information from Canadian cell phone companies. It also considered findings from a number of other studies and reviewed public information on roaming. This, alongside concerns from Canadians over roaming fees, has mobilized the CRTC to take action.

Companies must now inform the CRTC by Nov. 4 of the concrete steps they are taking to respond to these concerns about exorbitant roaming charges — if it is found that sufficient progress has not been made, a formal public proceeding will be launched.

Under the CRTC's Wireless Code, service providers cannot charge more than $100 for domestic and international data roaming within a month or per billing cycle. Service providers must also notify users when they are roaming internationally.

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Domestic wholesale roaming rates

Alongside fighting for more reasonable international roaming fees, the CRTC is also taking steps to help make it more affordable for Canadians to use their cell phones throughout Canada.

Domestic wholesale roaming rates are the fees that cell phone service providers pay when their customers travel outside of the provider's coverage area. These fees are a key factor that providers use when setting prices for cell phone plans.

The CRTC states that the agreements for wholesale roaming rates between cell phone service providers are several years old and do not reflect today's market. It is requiring providers to set new rates through timely negotiations with each other. If cell phone providers cannot come to an agreement, the CRTC will set the rates using a process known as final offer arbitration.

The CRTC expects this will result in lower prices and it will continue to actively monitor roaming rates even after an agreement is made.