Bell, Virgin start charging $70 connection fee just in time for holiday shopping season

Bell and its flanker brand Virgin Plus have finally joined Rogers and Telus in charging a $70 connection fee for wireless services.

Both providers now list the fee on the plan pages of their respective websites. Bell’s site shows the fee in the fine print under “See full offer details,” while on Virgin’s site you can find it under “More info.” The providers charge the fee when customers activate new services or upgrade their phones, though it’s often waived for online purchases.

Fine print on Bell’s website detailing the new $70 connection fee.

Rogers and Fido kicked off this latest round of connection fee increases in July when they raised their fee by $10 to $70. Telus and Koodo raised their fees to $70 in August despite the CRTC asking Rogers to explain how its increased fee is consistent with recent amendments to the Telecommunications Act that prohibit charging fees “related to the activation or modification of a telecommunications service plan.”

The Big Three have steadily increased connection fees on a near-annual basis for over a decade, typically by $5-$10 each time. Back in 2013, for example, connection fees were just $15. But while connection fees have soared to $70 now, not everyone charges so much — Freedom Mobile, for example, has charged $45 for its connection fee since 2021.