The Toronto City Council is calling for the CRTC to take action in pushing major carriers in Canada to provide “options for reasonably priced unlimited data packages.”
“Canadian society continues to be transformed by technological advances. Increasingly Canadians are relying upon their mobile devices for entertainment, access to public and private services and multiple forms of communications among the many tools available through various platforms,” stated the City Council.
Council is now considering item MM27.38 Unlimited Data Mobile Cellular Services in Canada https://t.co/gWNeYaohSE #tocouncil
— Toronto City Clerk (@TorontoCouncil) March 29, 2017
“In the United States the five major carriers now provide affordable unlimited data plans. The lack of such options in Canada is in stark contrast to the plans available to consumers elsewhere. There is no legitimate reason for consumers in Canada not to have the option of reasonably priced unlimited data plans for their mobile devices.”
The desire for unlimited data plans in Canada has been on the forefront since late in 2016, when T-Mobile, a major wireless carrier in the US, decided to offer an unlimited data plan for a monthly cost of $70. Since then, all major US cellular providers now offer unlimited data plans for anywhere from $50-90 (all figures in USD) per month, including AT&T, Verizon, Sprint, and U.S. Cellular.
A true unlimited data plan does not currently exist in Canada. CBC pointed out earlier in March that there is a decent unlimited data plan available in Manitoba via Manitoba Telecom Services, the company was recently purchased by Bell, which will most likely change its offering.
Read the full statement by the Toronto City Council here.
