Telus reportedly heads to court over $15 SIM fee battle

Vancouver-based telecom Telus reportedly went to Canada’s Federal Court of Appeal over new rules banning the company’s $15 SIM fee.

The move is the latest in the ongoing battle between carriers and the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) over rules that prohibit charging certain types of fees.

In a Sept. 14 filing, Telus reportedly sought permission from the court to appeal the CRTC’s Aug. 14 procedural ruling. That ruling denied several of Telus’ requests related to a review of the junk fees, including one to remove what Telus claimed was biased staff from the review.

Per details shared on Reddit by Planhub, a Montreal-based platform that helps compare wireless and internet plans, Telus’ appeal request challenges three issues.

First is the aforementioned bias problem. Telus wants certain CRTC staff removed from the proceeding over alleged bias they showed in letters sent to Telus and in media interviews. However, in the CRTC’s Aug. 14 ruling, it pointed out that Telus’ claims of bias don’t pass the test. Further, it said that staff don’t have authority to make binding decisions.

Next, Telus said it wants to split the CRTC procedure into two stages, one to decide if there was a rules violation and one to determine penalties. However, the CRTC already said that a follow-up proceeding isn’t necessary in this case.

Finally, Telus reportedly argued in the appeal request that the CRTC wasn’t clear about the case Telus has to make regarding fees, despite the commission already asking Telus and other companies to prove that their new fees comply with the rules.

Telus, naturally, disagrees with the CRTC’s ruling and now wants the courts to intervene.

This battle all started over junk fee rules the CRTC implemented in June 2026. The rules prohibit carriers from charging fees “related to the activation or modification of a telecommunications service plan” as well as fees that “discourage subscribers from modifying their service plan or cancelling their contract.”

However, Telus and fellow members of the Big Three, Rogers and Bell, responded by implementing new types of fees that the three carriers claim are exempt from the rules. Bell and Rogers added $40 charges for handling devices, while Telus expanded how it charges a $15 SIM card fee.

Despite warnings from the CRTC that these new fees may also violate the rules, the Big Three forged ahead, leading the CRTC to start a review. If the review determines the carriers violated the rules, they could face fines up to $10 million.