Cheaper fibre internet could be on the way as CRTC finalizes wholesale rates

Canadians could soon have more affordable home internet options as the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) locks in final wholesale rates for fibre network sharing.

In a CRTC order delivered on April 24, 2026, the commission set out the final wholesale rates for using fibre networks. The decision comes years after the CRTC opened fibre networks to the wholesale program.

For those unfamiliar with the program, the CRTC’s wholesale framework allows smaller internet service providers (ISPs) to rent access to incumbent providers’ networks to deliver internet service to customers. The commission sets rates that ISPs must pay to access networks, but so far, providers have had to use temporary rates.

The CRTC says that finalizing wholesale rates “provides certainty for the industry and will allow competitors to continue offering new choices to Canadians while also ensuring Canada’s largest telephone companies are compensated fairly for the investments they make to connect Canadians to fibre.”

The final rates replace the interim rates that were set in 2024, though the commission notes that the new rates are “similar” to the interim rates that ISPs have already used to “bring new offers to market and attract tens of thousands of new customers.”

However, the road to this point has been anything but smooth. The CRTC controversially allowed incumbents to use the wholesale program, sparking backlash from many providers. Despite the backlash, the CRTC stuck by the decision, which saw Telus launch fibre internet using Bell’s network in Ontario and Quebec. Bell initially fought back, but later launched fibre internet using Telus’ network in Alberta and B.C. Bell and Telus also engaged in a months-long spat over wholesale, each alleging that the other purposefully tried to disrupt their respective wholesale services. The carriers dropped their complaints in March 2026.

Responses to the final wholesale rates are critical

Not all players are happy about the finalized rates. Andy Kaplan-Myrth, VP of regulatory and carrier affairs at TekSavvy, called the decision “disappointing” and “frustrating” in a statement to MobileSyrup:

“Today’s CRTC decision on final fibre Internet wholesale rates is very disappointing for Canadian consumers and small independent competitors.  In effect, the CRTC has kept the same high wholesale rates it already set years ago. After waiting three years for this decision, it is frustrating that nothing has changed to help increase real competition or lower retail prices for fibre Internet.”

Kaplan-Myrth also highlighted that the rates are limited to fibre wholesale, which only encompasses a small portion of the internet services available to Canadians. TekSavvy is still waiting on a wider wholesale rates decision that will cover cable internet rates, which haven’t changed in years.

“These rates have been unchanged for years and remain outstanding even as the cable carriers upgrade and replace those networks, evicting small independent competitors from wholesale access to thousands of consumers’ homes,” said Kaplan-Myrth.

In a similar vein, the Competitive Network Operators of Canada (CNOC) published a lengthy statement saying the final rates “end independent competition in Canada’s consumer Internet market.”

CNOC pointed out that most of the new provider choices for Canadians come from Bell and Telus entering each other’s markets, and don’t come from independent competitors. Moreover, CNOC criticized the rates as being too high.

“CNOC is disappointed that the Commission did not test its rates against market costs. Incumbent flanker brands like Bell’s eBox already sell fibre Internet at retail prices nearly 40 per cent below what the CRTC’s final wholesale rate alone would cost an independent provider — before an independent provider adds a single dollar of its own costs.”

Here are some of the final wholesale rates

The CRTC published a list of the new, final wholesale rates on its website, alongside details on how it arrived at the final rates. The commission also said it would continue to monitor the market to evaluate the wholesale program’s impact.

Below are some of the notable rates from the commission’s list. It’s worth keeping in mind that these are the rates charged to ISPs, not what customers will pay for these services.

Bell Canada aggregated fibre-to-the-premises (FTTP) access rates – Ontario and Quebec

• 3 Mbps to 1500 Mbps – $68.26
• 1501 Mbps to 8000 Mbps – $77.20

Bell Canada service charges

• FTTP install, move, or change (without site visit) – $10.46
• FTTP install, move, or change (with site visit) – $240.86

Saskatchewan Telecommunications (SaskTel) aggregated FTTP access rate

• All speeds (15 Mbps to 1 Gbps) – $67.97

SaskTel service charges

• Service charge without site visit – $80.38
• Service charge with site visit – $261.82

TELUS Communications Inc. (TELUS) aggregated FTTP access rate – Alberta and British Columbia

• 15 Mbps to 1500 Mbps – $77.21
• 1501 Mbps to 5000 Mbps – $81.81

TELUS service charges – Alberta and British Columbia

• FTTP install, move, or change (without site visit) – $6.71
• FTTP install, move, or change (with site visit) – $250.67

TELUS aggregated FTTP access rate – Quebec

• 15 Mbps to 1500 Mbps – $57.86
• 1501 Mbps to 5000 Mbps – $62.45

TELUS service charges – Quebec

• FTTP install, move, or change (without site visit) – $6.71
• FTTP install, move, or change (with site visit) – $250.67

View the full list of wholesale rates on the CRTC website.

---

Update April 24, 2026, at 4:17 p.m. ET: Added comment from CNOC.

Update April 24, 2026, at 3:05 p.m. ET: Added comment from TekSavvy about the decision.