Telcos waive data caps, fees on heels of COVID-19

Rogers Communications Inc. announced Monday a suite of policy measures in response to the novel coronavirus outbreak, waiving roaming charges for Canadians overseas and suspending service cancellations for customers who can’t pay their bill.

Rogers will also be waiving long-distance fees and working with Microsoft to offer Microsoft Teams and Office 365 free for the next six months.

As the global pandemic crisis relating to the COVID-19 virus intensifies, public health officials are requesting that people work from home whenever possible and self-quarantine where necessary to slow the spread of the virus.

In that environment, telecommunication infrastructure has become one of the key public service systems for people to stay connected.

“We know that there is a lot of uncertainty in our daily lives right now. This is a challenge that affects every Canadian and every business across our country, and we all have a vital role to play in supporting each other through it,” Rogers chief executive Joe Natale said in a news release.

Rogers said that until April 30 they will not be charging customers for long-distance calling within Canada, and for Canadians trying to get home, the company will waive international roaming fees.

Until the end of May, Rogers is suspending all data caps on home internet plans, and for the next 90 days the company won’t cut off anybody’s service if they’re unable to pay.

Meanwhile, Telus Corp. has also waived data caps, and the company announced that it will be using “flexible payment options” for customers who can’t pay their bills due to a disruption in income.

“We don’t want anyone to worry about not being able to pay their bill on time if they have been financially affected by the crisis,” a Telus spokesperson said.

Telus is also waiving roaming charges in China and Italy, and other countries particularly hard hit by the virus, because Canadians in those places may not be able to get home.

BCE Inc. is also waiving overage fees.

Matt Stein, chief executive of Distributel, a small internet service provider, said that the company is also waiving data caps and the company is trying to be flexible during the crisis. Stein said with many professionals working from home, Distributel is ready to provide services to make that easier.

For example, Stein said that with schools closed and children home, video games and business work sharing the same internet connection can strain the system, so Distributel is ready to install a second internet connection to avoid congestion.