Wireless carriers agree to offer range of lower-priced data-only plans

TORONTO – The country's three national wireless carriers have agreed to offer a "broad range" data-only plans through their second- and third-tier brands, including $30-per-month plans with more megabytes than previously suggested, the industry's federal regulator said Monday.

The Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission ordered Bell, Rogers and Telus in March to come up with data-only plans to fill a void in the marketplace.

But there was widespread criticism from individual consumers and consumer-advocacy groups about the price of the initial proposals filed in April.

Bell, for instance, had offered a single new option that cost $30 per month for 500 megabytes of data. Rogers also had a single new option, that cost $25 per month for 400 megabytes of data. Telus had offered to introduce plans that would charge $30 for either 500MB through Koodo or 600 MB of data through Public Mobile.

The CRTC now says all three companies will offer at least one plan that charges $30 per month or less for one gigabyte of data (1,000 megabytes).

Telus will offer two $30 per month plans with 1 GB of data, through Koodo and Public Mobile, while Rogers will offer a similar 1 GB plan for $30 through Fido and Bell's Virgin Mobile will offer the same amount of data for $28 per month, according to the CRTC.

It listed only Bell Canada's Lucky Mobile and the Rogers Fido and Chatr brands with $15 data-only plans, but Telus had previously noted it had a Public Mobile plan for as low as $20 per month for 250MB of data.

The federal regulator said it will monitor the implementation and availability of plans by Bell Mobility, Rogers and Telus over the coming months to ensure that the national wireless providers honour their commitments.

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