Rogers, Fido customers furious as service cut off ahead of 3G shutdown

Update July 31, 2025 at 10:36a.m. ET: Rogers has now pushed back the 3G shutdown until August 7, 2025. Read our full story to learn more.

Rogers is set to shut down its 3G network on July 31, 2025. However, weeks ahead of that date, the Toronto-based national carrier started cutting off wireless service for customers and telling them their devices aren’t compatible.

Over the last several days, MobileSyrup received several emails from frustrated customers with wireless service from Rogers and its flanker brand, Fido, claiming their service was suddenly shut off. Similarly, the Rogers and Fido Reddit pages are full of posts from customers who had their service shut off.

In an email to MobileSyrup, a Rogers spokesperson said they were looking into the issue — this story will be updated with any additional information they provide. The spokesperson also shared a copy of an email notification previously sent to customers that warned their service would stop working after June 30, 2025:

“Effective Ju‌ne 3‌0, 20‌25, if you still have not transitioned to an upgraded network, a one-time $75 3G administrative charge will be applied to your account. If you have multiple lines, this will only be applied once. Your mobile device will lose connectivity shortly after this date, which means you will not be able to make or receive calls, texts or use data. Importantly, your access to 911 will not be impacted.”

Update July 11, 2025 at 6:42 p.m. ET: Rogers told MobileSyrup that it temporarily restored service for some impacted customers:

“We’ve received feedback from some customers using our 3G network and we have temporarily restored service for those affected. We will continue working to help these customers switch to an upgraded network experience at no cost ahead of our 3G network’s planned retirement. Customers can migrate to our 4G LTE or 5G network without changing their plan, and we’re offering them a new, compatible device for $0 if needed.”

However, the company’s statement doesn’t address why customers with compatible devices had their service suspended.

The original story continues below.

Many of the customers who had their service shut down appear to have not received, or were unaware of, this notification, citing instead the July 31 shutdown date and were surprised by the early disconnection. It’s possible some didn’t receive the notification because they had already addressed potential device compatibility issues.

Customers who had their service shut off report that they received messages saying their line was “suspended as part of our 3G network retirement” and directing customers to contact the carrier to resolve the issue.

Fido message about suspending a line because of the 3G shutdown. | Image credit: Reddit.

Moreover, many who received messages reported that they had already confirmed device compatibility through tools offered by Rogers and Fido or by contacting the carrier. One user even said their line got suspended despite them recently upgrading to an iPhone 14.

Worse, impacted customers are having difficulty contacting the carrier, with many reporting lengthy wait times when they call in or multi-hour lines at stores. Those who manage to get through claim customer reps push them to upgrade their devices, despite already having compatible phones. Other reps simply say they can’t help customers. Some who went into stores said they were able to demonstrate they have a compatible device, and the reps were able to remove a 3G block placed on their accounts, re-enabling service.

Possible solutions for disconnected service

Some customers have reported being able to re-enable service on their devices without going into stores, but your mileage with this will vary. This seems tied to voice-over-LTE (VoLTE), which has caused a lot of issues for some people with devices that aren’t sold by Rogers or Fido, such as OnePlus phones. In short, devices that don’t support VoLTE will fall back to 3G for phone calls, even though the phone might show it uses 4G or LTE. Because of this, some people with devices that aren’t compatible with Rogers’ VoLTE might be caught up in the 3G shutdown, and this is where some have managed to avoid the issue by finding workarounds to enable VoLTE for their devices.

Even more frustrating for customers is that this service disconnect came after Rogers started charging new fees to customers who were using 3G. The company charged customers a $3/mo 3G fee and a one-time $75 administration fee for continuing to use 3G. Recently, Rogers also increased its connection fee to $80.

There are two main pieces of advice circulating on social media for those impacted by the shutdown. The first is to switch providers, and the other is to file a report with the Commission for Complaints for Telecom-television Services (CCTS). I’d say those are both fair pieces of advice, with some caveats.

Switching services might be a fast option to get reconnected quickly (plus, porting out will send a clear signal to Rogers). However, that option won’t work well for everyone. Plus, if you switch but keep your current phone, you might be in a similar situation in the coming months as Bell and Telus prepare their 3G shutdowns.

Complaining to the CCTS is always a good option and one that’s often effective. However, the process can be slow, so don’t expect an immediate resolution if your service has been cut off. You can file a complaint on the CCTS website.

Source: Reddit, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, Twitter/X