The CRTC officially banned junk fees like activation charges in June, and since then, the Big Three carriers have been trying to work around the rules by introducing new fees. Now, Freedom Mobile is calling them out.
The Quebecor-owned wireless carrier launched a new ad campaign and added a new page to its website dubbed “What The Fees?” that calls attention to the Big Three’s attempts to dodge the fee ban:
“On June 12, 2026, the CRTC, Canada’s telecom regulator, banned activation and modification fees* (junk fees). The rule exists specifically so Canadians can switch phone carriers without being financially penalized.
“Big Wireless response? They introduced new or different junk fees in their place!”
Freedom goes on to say fair pricing “isn’t complicated” and says that it followed the new rules and removed fees. And for what it’s worth, Freedom did remove several fees, including its $45 connection fee, a hardware upgrade fee, the $30 Roam Beyond fee, and more.
That’s a stark contrast from the Big Three carriers, Rogers, Bell, and Telus, all of which introduced new fees or expanded existing fees in response to the new rules.
Both Bell and Rogers added $40 fees related to handling or setting up devices, while Telus expanded when and how it charges a $15 SIM fee.
The Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) sent letters to each carrier over the fees, urging them to change course or face regulatory action. Despite the letters, the carriers said they’d keep charging the fees, spurring the CRTC to launch a review to determine if the Big Three violated the rules, which could result in fines of up to $10 million.
It shouldn’t come as a surprise that Freedom is trying to draw attention to the junk fee issue. A core part of the CRTC’s fee ban revolves around whether a fee is intended to discourage customers from switching providers.
Freedom has long positioned itself as an upstart trying to take on the bigger carriers, often undercutting the Big Three’s prices in an effort to win over customers. A ban on fees that discourage people from switching could benefit Freedom, so it makes sense that the carrier is putting the spotlight on the fee fight.
