Bell and Telus are increasing roaming fees abroad

Starting March 8, Telus and Koodo will charge $14 per day for roaming in the US and $16 elsewhere abroad, compared to $12 and $15 respectively at present.

On the Bell and Virgin side, roaming charges will drop on March 9 from $12 to $13 in the US and from $15 to $16 elsewhere abroad.

Rogers and its subsidiaries Chatr and Fido have not yet indicated that they intend to increase their prices. Currently, roaming charges in the US are $12 and $15 elsewhere abroad.

For its part, Videotron currently charges $10 per day in the United States and $14 abroad, according to information posted on its website.

Bell told CBC that cell phone rates have fallen over the past year as the bill demanded by overseas partners has gone up, driving up roaming charges. Telus has not yet responded.

can not afford it?

Jerry Wall of the company wall connections, He says there are “relatively affordable” basic cell phone plans in Canada.

He adds, however, that prices can add up quickly for extras and if you use your phone abroad. He points out that suppliers know Canadians travel more.

” Three or four years ago, roaming fees were on the big three [Bell, Rogers et Telus] In Canada and the United States it was much lower. »

He expects roaming charges to continue to rise over the next few years with the resurgence of overseas travel.

Competition analyst Keldon Bester, who founded the group Canadian Antitrust ProjectIt’s unclear whether Canadian phone companies should pay their international partners more to use their network, he says, which would justify higher roaming fees. He points out that these agreements are confidential.

Based on information provided by CBC’s Pete Evans