Cellphone plans may soon get pricier in Canada.
According to new Statistics Canada data, via The Globe and Mail, the overall cost of cellular plans last October and November went up year-over-year, as measured by the Consumer Price Index (CPI). While an increase in and of itself might not be notable, Statistics Canada notes this was the first hike in roughly 30 months.
The agency explains that this index, while still much lower than what it was in previous years, could mark “the beginning of a change in trend.” Notably, industry groups like the Canadian Telecom Association (which includes several of Canada’s biggest carriers) claim that wireless prices have come down by as much as 65 per cent since 2020. However, the math behind those claims doesn’t always work out, and it’s also worth pointing out that Statistics Canada changed how it tracks wireless costs in 2024 to better reflect how much Canadians are actually paying.
One key reason for the increase could be attributed to the drop in immigration, which had historically led to a surge in new subscribers for telecoms. Bell, Rogers and Telus said as much last year after recording their lowest number of new customers in four years.
Of course, it doesn’t help that carriers have been periodically raising costs. To that point, Statistics Canada reports that Canadians have collectively been paying more for telecom services practically every quarter for at least the past five years.
This all lines up with what telecom executives have been saying. Last year, execs from Bell and Telus said they expected wireless prices to increase as the companies shifted focus from wireless discounts to home internet offers.
Source: The Globe and Mail
