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The CRTC is pressing Bell Mobility, Rogers and TELUS to offer international roaming that is cheaper, more flexible and easier to find. It has also changed the rules governing wholesale domestic roaming. These actions can improve competition, but they do not guarantee an immediate reduction on every customer’s bill. Prices, destinations and eligibility still depend on each carrier’s current terms.
Why Canadian roaming fees are so high
Canadian travellers commonly encounter a flat roaming charge of $10 to $16 per day, even when they use little data, make no calls or send few messages. The charge is usually triggered by using a Canadian plan abroad rather than calculated from actual consumption.
A CRTC-commissioned 2024 comparison by Networks, Economics & Strategy and Tarifica examined Canada, Australia, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Mexico, the United Kingdom and the United States. It found that Canadian bundled roaming rates were higher than those in the other countries studied, with limited exceptions involving French and Mexican providers.
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Most Canadian offers use one fixed daily model
The study identified fixed daily products such as Bell’s Roam Better, Rogers’ Roam Like Home, TELUS’ Easy Roam and Videotron’s Traveller Pass. This structure can be simple, but it gives travellers few ways to match the purchase to a short trip or light usage.
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Longer trips expose the biggest price problem
For one day, the study reported a Canadian average of $15.30 versus an international average of $16.30. That single-day comparison does not show the whole market: Canadian fixed rates were generally among the highest when usage lasted more than three days. The study attributed the difference partly to the lack of varied offers, such as multi-day bundles or data-only packages.
What the CRTC is doing
International roaming: pressure on retail plans
On 7 October 2024, the CRTC asked Bell Mobility, Rogers and TELUS to provide more competitive, flexible and affordable international roaming options and to make those options easier for customers to find and understand. Chair Vicky Eatrides said the regulator was prepared to begin a formal public proceeding if Canadians’ concerns were not addressed.
The request is not an order setting a particular daily price. It is a direction to improve the offers and their disclosure. The CRTC’s follow-up letter of 7 March 2025 sought progress reports on two specific issues: affordable pay-per-use international roaming, and clear visibility of roaming options. Carrier reports were filed in May and November 2025; the CRTC page records additional information requests in February 2026.
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Domestic roaming: reform of wholesale access
Domestic roaming is a different problem. Regional wireless companies buy access to national networks, so the wholesale price and contract terms affect how much competition those companies can provide to consumers.
Telecom Decision CRTC 2024-233 replaced the previous cost-based rate-setting approach with commercial negotiation. If carriers cannot agree, final-offer arbitration (FOA) is available: an arbitrator chooses one party’s complete offer rather than designing a compromise. Existing tariffed rates remain interim until a negotiated or arbitrated agreement is in place. The CRTC expects this process to produce faster, lower wholesale rates.
Telecom Decision CRTC 2025-245, dated 18 September 2025, expanded the practical choices further. Bell Mobility and TELUS must include the radio-access network owned and operated by the other company under their shared-network agreement in each company’s wholesale-roaming footprint. A regional carrier can therefore seek national coverage from Bell, Rogers or TELUS instead of having only one realistic national option. More bargaining choices should reduce wholesale prices and administrative costs, although the decision does not set a guaranteed retail discount.
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Will Bell, Rogers and TELUS actually lower roaming prices?
They have been required to report on their progress, but the CRTC has not announced a universal new price that all three carriers must charge. The regulator’s October 2024 action creates pressure for better offers and leaves open a formal proceeding if the responses are inadequate.
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A free scan shows the junk files, broken settings and background clutter dragging Windows down - then fixes them in one click.Free scan · Windows 10 & 11Travellers should therefore treat any advertised rate as temporary and destination-specific. Check the carrier’s current terms immediately before a trip, including the countries covered, whether a charge is triggered by background data, the included data, voice and text allowances, overage rules, activation requirements and whether tethering is permitted.
How the $100 roaming cap works
The Wireless Code sets a $100 data-roaming cap in one monthly billing cycle. It includes fixed daily-rate data-roaming packages and plans that let you use your phone abroad as though you were at home.
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- The limit applies to data-roaming charges, not a blanket maximum for every possible international charge.
- The relevant period is your billing cycle, which may not match a calendar month.
- The CRTC has asked providers to confirm that customers explicitly agree to charges beyond the cap.
- The cap does not make an unsuitable plan inexpensive; it limits how far data charges can continue without your consent.
For example, five days at a $15 daily data-roaming rate would total $75 before taxes and any other applicable charges. A longer stay could reach the cap, at which point additional data charges should require the consent process described by the Wireless Code and your provider’s terms.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Could an eSIM cost less than daily roaming?
Often it can, but there is no universal winner. An eSIM from a destination or international provider may offer a fixed amount of data for several days instead of charging a Canadian daily roaming fee. That can be attractive on a longer trip or when you need data but not Canadian voice and text service.
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Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesFind Drivers →Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsFree Scan →Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteDriver Scan →The CRTC’s comparison found that providers in other countries offered more combinations than the dominant Canadian daily model, including fixed data, voice or text allowances for a defined number of days and data-only packages. Those are the types of flexibility an eSIM can provide, but actual savings depend on the destination and the current offer.
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| Question | Canadian roaming plan | Travel eSIM or local plan |
|---|---|---|
| How you pay | Often a daily fee tied to your Canadian account | Commonly a prepaid allowance for a set number of days; exact structure varies |
| Data, voice and text | May use your Canadian plan’s allowances, subject to its roaming terms | Frequently data-focused; voice and text may require a separate service or app |
| Canadian number | Usually remains active under the carrier’s roaming conditions | Keeping the Canadian line active may require dual-SIM settings and can create roaming charges if it connects |
| Tethering | Allowed only if the carrier’s roaming terms permit it | Depends on the eSIM provider and device settings |
| Bill protection | Subject to the Wireless Code’s $100 data-roaming cap and consent rules | Usually limited to the amount purchased; check refill and overage terms |
| Setup | Often enabled through the Canadian carrier’s account or device settings | Requires an eSIM-compatible, unlocked device and installation before or during travel |
Before choosing an eSIM, confirm destination coverage, the trip length, the amount of data included, hotspot support, expiration, activation timing and whether your phone can keep the Canadian line available for incoming texts without allowing unintended data roaming.
How to compare roaming options before travelling
- Define the trip. Record every destination, the number of days in each country and whether you will cross borders during the journey.
- Estimate usage. Separate maps and messaging from video, hotspot use and voice calls. Light use can make a flat daily fee poor value.
- Compare the full allowance. Check included data, voice and text rather than comparing daily prices alone.
- Check the maximum exposure. Read the billing-cycle cap, pay-per-use rates, overage rules and consent process.
- Confirm device and number requirements. Verify eSIM support, carrier unlocking, dual-SIM behavior and whether tethering is allowed.
- Read activation wording. Determine exactly what action starts a daily charge and whether background data can trigger it.
- Save the terms. Keep the carrier’s current price and destination list, because roaming details can change after you buy.
What these reforms mean for consumers
Internationally, the CRTC is trying to move the market beyond a one-size-fits-all daily fee by demanding affordable pay-per-use choices, clearer presentation and more flexible packages. Domestically, it is changing how regional carriers obtain wholesale roaming and increasing the number of national network choices available to them.
Those measures address the causes of high prices, but they are regulatory expectations and wholesale-process changes rather than an immediate promise that every traveller will pay less. Until a carrier publishes a better offer for your destination, compare the current terms with a multi-day or data-only alternative and keep the Wireless Code’s $100 data cap in mind.
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