Canadians could soon have more affordable home internet options as the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) locks in final wholesale rates for fibre network sharing.
In a CRTC order delivered on April 24, 2026, the commission set out the final wholesale rates for using fibre networks. The decision comes years after the CRTC opened fibre networks to the wholesale program.
For those unfamiliar with the program, the CRTC’s wholesale framework allows smaller internet service providers (ISPs) to rent access to incumbent providers’ networks to deliver internet service to customers. The commission sets rates that ISPs must pay to access networks, but so far, providers have had to use temporary rates.
The CRTC says that finalizing wholesale rates “provides certainty for the industry and will allow competitors to continue offering new choices to Canadians while also ensuring Canada’s largest telephone companies are compensated fairly for the investments they make to connect Canadians to fibre.”
The final rates replace the interim rates that were set in 2024, though the commission notes that the new rates are “similar” to the interim rates that ISPs have already used to “bring new offers to market and attract tens of thousands of new customers.”
However, the road to this point has been anything but smooth. The CRTC controversially allowed incumbents to use the wholesale program, sparking backlash from many providers. Despite the backlash, the CRTC stuck by the decision, which saw Telus launch fibre internet using Bell’s network in Ontario and Quebec. Bell initially fought back, but later launched fibre internet using Telus’ network in Alberta and B.C. Bell and Telus also engaged in a months-long spat over wholesale, each alleging that the other purposefully tried to disrupt their respective wholesale services. The carriers dropped their complaints in March 2026.
The CRTC published a list of the new, final wholesale rates on its website, alongside details on how it arrived at the final rates. The commission also said it would continue to monitor the market to evaluate the wholesale program’s impact.
Below are some of the notable rates from the commission’s list. It’s worth keeping in mind that these are the rates charged to ISPs, not what customers will pay for these services.
Bell Canada aggregated fibre-to-the-premises (FTTP) access rates – Ontario and Quebec
- 3 Mbps to 1500 Mbps – $68.26
- 1501 Mbps to 8000 Mbps – $77.20
Bell Canada service charges
- FTTP install, move, or change (without site visit) – $10.46
- FTTP install, move, or change (with site visit) – $240.86
Saskatchewan Telecommunications (SaskTel) aggregated FTTP access rate
- All speeds (15 Mbps to 1 Gbps) – $67.97
SaskTel service charges
- Service charge without site visit – $80.38
- Service charge with site visit – $261.82
TELUS Communications Inc. (TELUS) aggregated FTTP access rate – Alberta and British Columbia
- 15 Mbps to 1500 Mbps – $77.21
- 1501 Mbps to 5000 Mbps – $81.81
TELUS service charges – Alberta and British Columbia
- FTTP install, move, or change (without site visit) – $6.71
- FTTP install, move, or change (with site visit) – $250.67
TELUS aggregated FTTP access rate – Quebec
- 15 Mbps to 1500 Mbps – $57.86
- 1501 Mbps to 5000 Mbps – $62.45
TELUS service charges – Quebec
- FTTP install, move, or change (without site visit) – $6.71
- FTTP install, move, or change (with site visit) – $250.67
