NDP promises to fight for lower cell service fees ahead of federal election

The cost of cellphone plans and internet packages could become a federal election issue.

A recent update to the NDP website includes a new blog post about the issue, along with a fact page detailing the party’s stance on the subject.

The NDP argue that, despite their necessity, high-speed wireless and broadband services are neither affordable nor reliable in Canada.

While the latter point could be argued — a recent Tutela report notes Canada’s wireless networks offer consistent, excellent service — there’s little doubt that Canadians pay a premium for wireless service.

The NDP website says the ‘Big Three’ — Bell, Telus and Rogers — serve 90 percent of Canadians, and on average charge them 30 percent more than people in France, Germany and the U.K.

The NDP is looking to declare cellphone service and internet access as essential. Additionally, the party wants to require every company to have a basic plan for internet and cell service that meets the essential needs of Canadians.

Additionally, the NDP website features a section where Canadians can share their stories about massive roaming bills or incredibly high prices.

At the time of writing, the Liberal and Conservative parties did not have a publicly available stance on the matter. However, the government’s 2019 budget pledged $1.7 billion over 13 years to provide high-speed internet access to all Canadians.

Source: NDP

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