The Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) ordered Bell to stop selling locked phones “immediately” after the carrier went against the Wireless Code and started locking phones.
A stern letter to Bell from Marc Morin, secretary general and executive vice president of corporate services and operations at the CRTC, took the carrier to task for its new 60-day phone locking policy, noting that the Wireless Code is “clear” on unlocking phones.
“As you know, the Code’s rules on device unlocking require service providers to provide cellphones to customers unlocked at or before the time of sale,” Morin wrote in the letter.
Morin directed Bell to stop selling locked phones, ensure future phone sales comply with the Wireless Code, unlock any phone still locked to its network because of the policy, and notify affected customers when the process was completed.
Bell started locking smartphones sold by it and its flanker brand Virgin Plus in April 2025, claiming at the time that the move was to address an increase in robberies at its stores. Bell locked smartphones to its network for 60 days, though it still offered to unlock phones for customers who contacted the carrier or used its online tool within the 60-day period. Notably, several Bell customers complained on social media that the company failed to unlock their phones within the 60-day window.
The CRTC updated the Wireless Code in 2017 to prohibit the sale of locked phones, mandating that all new devices must be unlocked going forward. The Code also banned unlocking fees. Roughly a year later, Bell started locking phones stored at its retail locations, but unlocked them during the activation process, blaming increased fraud and theft for the policy.
Bell reiterated concerns over theft in a letter it sent to the CRTC in May, but Morin wrote that locking phones doesn’t address those concerns.
“The Commission also considers that locking cellphones is not in the best interest of consumers and that this practice has not been shown to be necessary to address any increase in crime and financial loss experienced by the wireless industry,” Morin wrote.
Morin also denied Bell’s request to temporarily allow it and other carriers to lock phones after purchase, and denied the carrier’s request to consider changing the Wireless Code. Further, he criticized Bell’s decision to inform the Commission about the plan to lock phones “just days before putting its new practice into effect.”
“In the Commission’s view, when a company is seeking relief from its regulatory obligations, they should engage the Commission sooner,” Morin wrote.
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