Canadian Internet Providers - Circumvent CRTC protection - Time based increases.
| Basic Information | |
|---|---|
| Release Year | 1989 |
| Product Type | Fiber optic network |
| In Production | Yes still being expanded accross Canada today via government grants |
| Official Website | https://www.risq.quebec/ |
Internet access is a monthly subscription to access a physical infrastructure. Modern internet connections use cable such a COAX, or fibre optics to deliver TV and Inter to homes across Canada. Once the cables are in place and the installation is complete there is no need for customer interactions or maintenance outside accidents and the lifetime degradation of the cables over time. Typical life span of cable is 20 to 40 years. https://www.etsmtl.ca/en/news/detecting-performance-degradation-fiber-optic-cables
Access prices are supposed to be a function of usage and speed.
CRTC is a protection agency in Canada to protect Canadians from abuse by big telecom companies. https://crtc.gc.ca/eng/home-accueil.htm
Consumer impact[edit | edit source]
Business model - Time based increases.
The CRTC and contract laws had a loop hole that allowed for "inflation" based increases with 30 to 60 days notice. These increases occur on the base price of the service. They're not allowed to touch discounts for a term period. Often two years. Lower prices are used to attract new clients. eg: 50$ fiber with lifetime discount or lifetime price.
Videotron issues increases frequently also regardless of what your price starts at. These are the sweeping emailed internet increases in recent years.
December 4, 2024 - 2$ - Notice by email 60 days prior
March 18, 2023 - 3$ - Notice by email 60 days prior
April 15, 2022 - 1$ - Notice by email 60 days prior
March 1, 2021 - 3$ - Notice by email 60 days prior
Other times in the increase notice is at the bottom of the bills.
Bell issues frequent increases of 5 to 6$ also regardless of what price you're currently paying. Recent sign-ups start around 50$ for over 1Gbit fibre services. Their door to door vendors or instore vendors will often say the price is good for 2 years which is a misrepresentation.
May 1st, 2025 - 6$
Feb 1st, 2025 - 4$
July 1st, 2024 - 5$
March 1st 2024 - 5$
Prices are often regionally adjusted to target areas they want to increase signups in which makes valuation of the product difficult. What's Gbit internet worth gobally?
France 20,99€ per month for fiber 1gbit up and down - 32.80 CAD https://www.red-by-sfr.fr/offre-internet/#redintid=B_menu-boutique_box?sv1=affiliate&sv_campaign_id=652723&awc=7310_1747208248_7d249cdde7de681d34902ff74de7dc88&sfrcpid=t3_awin_8259_652723_RED-FR&utm_medium=affiliation&utm_source=8259&utm_campaign=652723_StudyinFrance
UK - £33.00 per month for fiber 1gbit - 61.32 CAD
https://onestream.co.uk/broadband/products
Australia - 99$ per month for fiber 1Gbit - 89.40 CAD
https://www.buddytelco.com.au/?utm_source=whistleout&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=residential_nbn600d41u&utm_content=byo&gad_source=7&dclid=COypr5C-oo0DFYSzpgQdu903HQ (australia fiber networks are also heavily subsidized by the government)
The main issue is that loyal clients will always end up paying more than the current list prices and new customer prices if they're not continually being proactive.
You signed at a certain price, but there's no certainly during that term companies won't indiscriminately raise prices. It's hard to budget.
Business model - misleading ads / pricing tree
Market Control - Competition is limited large providers expand their networks with help from government grants. https://news.ontario.ca/en/release/1003326/governments-of-canada-and-ontario-investing-over-22-million-to-bring-high-speed-internet-access-to-more-than-1400-homes-in-10-communities-in-ontario
Incidents[edit | edit source]
This is a list of all consumer protection incidents related to this product. Any incidents not mentioned here can be found in the .
Bell fights CRTC for allowing small companies to rent their networks to larger ones to service remote areas (2025 05 12)[edit | edit source]
- Main article: link to the main article
CRTC wants to allow existing local provides the ability to rent their networks to larger national telecom companies instead of having the large telecom companies use grants to build parallel networks. Bell one of the dominating telecom companies doesn't support
Bell announces network wide sweeping increase starting May 1st, 2025 (2025 04 30)[edit | edit source]
https://mobilesyrup.com/2025/04/30/reminder-your-bell-internet-bill-is-about-to-go-up/
Home internet prices are going up 6$ starting May 1st, 2025 a second increase this year.
CRTC makes internet at reasonable speeds a basic service and funds it (date)[edit | edit source]
https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/crtc-internet-essential-service-1.3906664
CRTC makes providers a plan to achieve speeds of 50mpbs to 8% of canadians. They invest 750 million to achieve that.