Canadians say roaming limits needed
Almost 90 per cent of consumers want their wireless carriers to halt their data use abroad when they’ve spent a maximum of $50 on international data roaming fees, says a new study.
Trying to calculate megabytes of data used while outside Canada can leave consumers confused and with cellphone bill shock, the Public Interest Advocacy Centre said Monday.
“Consumers understand dollar limits in terms of how much it’s going to look like on my bill when I get back from vacation or travel,” said Janet Lo, legal counsel for the consumer advocacy group.
The survey also found about 90 per cent of consumers said they had received a bill that was much higher than expected for international data roaming.
“We’re really trying to prevent this scenario where a consumer comes home and gets their bill and it’s much higher than they had expected,” Lo said from Ottawa.
Major wireless carriers such as Telus, Bell and Rogers said they already advise their customers via text message of international roaming rates on their cellphones and send notifications when consumers have hit certain megabyte limits for data usage.
“A dollar limit would give consumers that control they really seek,” said Lo, adding that’s how data roaming is calculated in Europe.
The CRTC could include how wireless carriers notify customers of international roaming rates in its new wireless code of conduct, she added.
The Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission is developing a national code of conduct for wireless carriers.
“We’re looking for consistent practices between all wireless carriers,” said Lo.
The commission is expected to issue a draft code by the end of next month, after which a second round of online consultations will be launched. Public hearings are set to begin in February.
Telus spokeswoman Donna Ramirez said customers are notified when they use 10 megabytes of data and are asked if they want to continue using data.
“We can all be doing much more from an education perspective to be helping customers understand what happens when they’re roaming,” Ramirez said from Toronto.