Here's how Canadians can save money on spring break roaming charges
Bell is offering new roaming discounts to make it a bit cheaper for families to use their smartphones while travelling this spring.
The deal only applies to families with multiple numbers attached to one account, but if one member starts roaming, the others can roam for 50 per cent off. The deal is available to Bell and Virgin Plus subscribers. The offer lasts until May 29 and applies automatically to customers enrolled in Bell’s Roam Better with Home Data or Virgin’s Roam Sweet Roam with Home Data.
That means if a family of three were travelling to the U.S., the first person would need to pay $13 per day, and the other two would each pay $6.50. If you’re travelling internationally, the regular roaming price is $16 per day, and the 50 per cent off rate is $8.
Notably, these changes come after the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) asked the Big Three Canadian telecoms — Bell, Rogers, and Telus — to come up with ways to lower roaming costs in late 2024. The Big Three responded by claiming they already offered affordable roaming, but also promised to add new options in 2025.
While regular carrier roaming isn’t a great deal if you plan to travel for a prolonged period of time, you can also look into getting an eSIM card from the country you’re visiting and getting online that way.
Bell isn’t the only provider offering special, limited-time roaming deals. Rogers-owned Fido started offering new customers 30 or 90 days of free U.S. roaming when signing up for select plans. Meanwhile, anyone who travels a lot in North America could benefit from data plans with continent-wide data, such as those from Freedom Mobile and Public Mobile.
Source: Bell, Virgin Plus