Mobile Companies Increase Roaming Charges for U.S. and Abroad

Mobile companies are increasing the cost of roaming charges this year. So far, since January, two of the three major telecom operators have increased their fees by $1 per day for roaming charges within the U.S. and internationally. The cost increases have extended to their flanker brands and the regional network Eastlink.

These increases follow the annual price comparison report that found that national mobile prices decreased by 2.6% in 2022. Since introducing roaming fees in the mid-2010s, all carriers have increased costs by over 50%.

Eastlink is increasing the cost of easyTravel, which allows people to use the same plan they have in Canada. Prices will increase by $1 each to $13 per day in the U.S. and $16 per day internationally on easyTravel.

Bell’s Roam Better packages increase

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U.S. roaming on Bell’s Roam Better package will increase from $12 to $13 daily. International roaming will also increase by $1—from $15 per day to $16. There are two Roam Better plans: one offers 500 MB of roaming data while the other offers data on the account with a speed cap after 1 GB; both offer customers unlimited talk and text outside the country.

The Roam Better add-on from Bell increased at the beginning of March. The plan is usable for up to 20 days per line per billing period. Bell offers a Canada-U.S. plan for people who frequently travel between the two countries. 

Virgin Plus (previously Virgin Mobile), a flanker brand of Bell, also increased its roaming plans at the beginning of March. The international plans, Roam Sweet Roam, offer home data and 500 MB data roaming plans. Both plans increased by $1. Now, roaming with Virgin Plus costs $13 per day in the U.S. and $16 per day internationally.

Telus’s increases add up fast

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Telus increased its roaming cost a day before Bell’s increase in February. Easy Roam from Telus increased by $2 to $14 per day for U.S. roaming and $1 to $16 per day for international roaming. 

While the increases may not seem like a lot, they can add up quickly. For a ten-day trip to the U.S. with roaming, individuals will now pay $140 total—$20 more than last year.

Telus does cap fees at $240 per billing cycle for U.S. roaming and $300 per cycle for international roaming. That equals about 20 days of usage with the old pricing model, and the company has yet to announce a new cap.

Easy Roam with Telus also includes a new time-limit cap. Instead of offering 24 hours of roaming, the plan is valid until 11:59 pm in your time zone.

Will Rogers follow roaming increases?

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So far, Rogers is the only one of the Big Three not increasing its roaming cost. Fido, the flanker brand, also has yet to increase roaming. In fact, amid scrutiny of the Rogers-Shaw merger, Rogers is contemplating cutting roaming rates for Freedom Mobile customers.

Rogers’ Roam Like Home plan and Fido Roam cost $12 per day for U.S. roaming and $15 per day if you’re going internationally. The company says it has no plans to increase roaming costs.

This month, Rogers and Fido offer customers one free roaming day through March 31. New customers can use the offer when they activate roaming.