For years, the biggest reason Canadians stayed with a telecom provider they were unhappy with was simple: leaving cost money. Activation fees on the new plan, modification fees for changing anything, and cancellation fees on the way out could easily erase the first year of savings from a better offer.
That math changed on June 12, 2026. The CRTC banned activation, modification, and cancellation fees across all carriers. Switching your phone or internet plan is now free by law.
What actually changed
Before the rule, a typical switch might have involved a $50 to $60 activation fee with the new provider, and in some cases a cancellation charge from the old one. Providers also used modification fees to discourage plan downgrades. All three fee types are now prohibited for CRTC-regulated telecom services, which include mobile and home internet.
What did not change: money you genuinely owe. If you financed a phone through your carrier, the remaining device balance is still yours to pay when you leave. Your final bill still includes any usage up to the cancellation date. The ban removes penalties for switching, not real debts.
How to tell if switching is worth it
Start with your current bill, not the new provider's ad. Look at what you actually pay each month, including equipment rental, add-ons, and taxes, and compare that full amount against the advertised price of the new plan plus its equivalent extras. Advertised prices usually exclude the add-ons that make up a surprising share of a real bill.
Three things worth checking on your current statement before you decide:
Promotional pricing. If your current price is a promotion that expires soon, compare the new offer against your post-promotion price, not the number you pay today.
Equipment rental. A rented modem at $10 per month adds $240 over two years. Some providers include equipment; others do not.
Bundle discounts. If your internet discount depends on also having a mobile plan with the same provider, switching one service may raise the price of the other.
How to switch without surprises
Sign up with the new provider first and schedule the start date, then cancel the old service effective the same day. This avoids paying for an overlap or sitting without service. Keep your final bill from the old provider and check it: it should contain your last period of usage and any device balance, and nothing labelled as a cancellation, deactivation, or early exit fee. If such a fee appears on a bill dated after June 12, 2026, question it with the provider directly.
If you port your phone number, do not cancel the old plan yourself; the number transfer cancels it automatically once the port completes.
The bigger picture for your bills
With exit penalties gone, the discipline that saves money is simply reviewing your telecom bills a couple of times a year and comparing them against current market offers. January, March, and Black Friday tend to be the strongest promotional windows in Canada. The barrier to acting on a better price used to be a fee; now it is only the twenty minutes it takes to check.