CRTC gives telecom giants more time to respond over alleged junk fee violations

The CRTC is giving major telecoms more time to respond to issues related to their compliance with the prohibition of “junk fees” related to plan switching.

On Wednesday, the regulator posted an update on its website noting that it has suspended the July 30 deadline for Bell, Rogers and Telus to address these issues. The CRTC says it was responded to a request from the Public Interest Advocacy Centre and Telus to delay these proceedings, and it will decide a new deadline once it’s reviewed their case.

This comes after the CRTC banned junk fees in March, which were historically in place to discourage consumers from exploring other plan options due to the costs associated with switching, such as activation fees. Naturally, this was an anti-competitive practice, especially when Canadians already pay some of the highest telecom prices in the world.

The ban took effect in June, but it was quickly discovered that the Big Three were still charging these fees anyway, arguing that they were exempt from the ruling. The CRTC said the carriers could face fines of up to $10 million for violating this ban but gave them a window to inquire further. That was originally until July 30, but now, it remains to be seen how much more time will be granted.