Cellphone, internet and TV complaints jump 61 per cent: watchdog report
Billing issues remained the top concern, with complaints about incorrect charges up 66% and wireless problems accounting for 56% of cases, the CCTS said.
- On Wednesday, the Commission for Complaints for Telecom-Television Services reported a 61% surge in customer complaints about phone, internet, and television services, with 19,157 cases handled between August 1, 2025 and January 31, 2026.
- Wireless service issues and billing disputes drove the complaint surge, with incorrect charges rising 66% compared to last year's midpoint and wireless concerns representing 56% of all submissions.
- Five service providers accounted for 79% of all accepted complaints: Rogers/Shaw, TELUS, Bell, Fido, and Koodo. Fido experienced the largest increase, with accepted complaints rising 156% since last year's midpoint.
- CCTS commissioner and CEO Josée Bidal Thibault stated that complaints regarding activation and installation fees "suggests onboarding may be a pain point," noting these charges often catch customers off guard and damage trust.
- The Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission will remove fees for activating, changing, or canceling plans, with new rules taking effect on June 12, 2026.
16 Articles
16 Articles
Telecom Complaints From Canadians Jump 61 Percent, Driven by Billing Disputes
Complaints from Canadians about cellphone, internet, and television services surged 61 percent over a recent six-month period, driven largely by billing disputes and unexpected charges, a telecom watchdog says. The Commission for Complaints for Telecom-television Services (CCTS), an independent telecom and TV complaints watchdog, handled 19,157 complaints about cellphone, internet, and TV services in the six months through Jan. 31, 2026. That’s …
St Catharines Standard
Behind the numbers: Billing concerns continue to drive rising telecom and TV complaints
OTTAWA, Ontario, April 29, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Consumer complaints about telecom and TV services have increased by 61%, according to new data released today by the Commission for Complaints for Telecom-television Services (CCTS). The latest CCTS Mid-Year Report provides…
The Commission des complaints relative aux services de télévision (CCST) submitted an analysis for the period 1 August 2025 to 31 January 2026. The period was marked by a massive 61% increase in the volume of complaints accepted compared to the same period the previous year, reaching a total of 19,157 complaints. For information, 11,909 had been reported in the middle of last year Rogers/Shaw service provider recorded the largest market share of…
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