r/CanadianCellPhones

VirginMobile is cancelling prepaid service in Jan 2027. I'm on a yearly plan prepaid and that's what I'm looking for. I've searched around and Koodo prepaid $100/365 days is the cheapest option I could find (Freedom and SpeakOut are not available to me).

1. How is Koodo cell service in Quebec (not concerned about data, I don't use data)?
2. How is Koodo customer service? It seems like it's nearly impossible to get a hold of them. For some reason, customer me service online chat does not load for me.
3. Do unused talk and text carry over or rollover to the renewed plan?
4. How do I port a number safely without losing my number?
5. Is there any hidden fee I should be aware of as a new customer, other than buying a Koodo SIM card (sad that my phone doesn't support eSIM)? Ex: activation fee? porting fee? Other weird fees?
6. Is Black Friday the best time to look for the best deals?
7. Is there a better option for me put there without other providers? I'm looking for a yearly prepaid plan.

The CRTC has rejected a request from Ztar Mobile Canada to regain access to Rogers' phone-number porting system, potentially closing one of the last paths for former SpeakOut, Good2Go Mobile and Ztar Mobile customers who failed to move their numbers before the old service was disconnected.

Ztar historically operated those prepaid brands using Rogers' network. Rogers first notified Ztar in late 2024 that their resale agreement would end, and after several extensions finally disconnected Ztar from its network on December 11, 2025. Rogers temporarily kept Ztar's porting-system access available until January 22, 2026.

Ztar later asked the CRTC to force Rogers to restore that access, arguing that as many as 30,000 to 40,000 disconnected numbers could still be affected. Without the old porting pathway, customers who didn't migrate in time may no longer be able to transfer or recover the number they previously used.

The CRTC rejected that request. It found that Rogers gave Ztar sufficient notice, fulfilled its contractual obligations and followed Canada's existing number-porting rules, which generally require a phone number to remain active when a customer initiates a transfer.

There is an important complication: some of those disconnected numbers may already have returned to Rogers' inventory or been reassigned. Rogers also told the CRTC that the vast majority had seen no calls, texts or data activity during the 90 days before disconnection, so the Commission concluded that preserving tens of thousands of numbers indefinitely would create its own problems.

The decision does not mean current SpeakOut customers are being disconnected. SpeakOut has moved to an upgraded network and continues to offer migration for eligible customers. This ruling primarily affects people who remained on the former Rogers-based service and did not successfully migrate or port their number before the old connection disappeared.

Sources & more: CRTC 2026-211 / SpeakOut Wireless

TELUS has now confirmed that it plans to begin locking newly activated phones to its network for 60 days starting in October 2026.

This is more than a regulatory proposal at this point. TELUS has started adding notices directly to phone listings on its website stating that, beginning in October, a “60-day TELUS network security lock” will be active on new phones. The carrier says devices will automatically unlock 60 days after activation at no charge.

The timing has changed. TELUS originally told the CRTC it intended to begin the practice on July 30, but a TELUS spokesperson has now confirmed an October start instead. According to the carrier, that launch is not conditional on receiving approval from the CRTC first.

TELUS argues that temporary locking would help fight device theft, subscription fraud and organized retail crime. In its CRTC filing, it says other security measures have not been enough as fraud techniques continue to evolve. Bell, Rogers, Videotron and industry groups have also raised concerns about theft and fraud.

The regulatory issue remains unresolved. Canada's Wireless Code has prohibited carriers from selling locked devices since December 2017, and the CRTC has not yet granted TELUS an exemption. Bell previously introduced a similar 60-day lock and was told by the CRTC in 2025 that it had not demonstrated the measure was necessary and proportionate.

The key change is therefore simple: someone buying a new phone from TELUS this fall could receive a device initially restricted to the TELUS network, even while the regulator is still deciding whether carriers should be allowed to do this.

Sources & more: TELUS (see in the middle of page) / CRTC

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Fizz no longer offer over $25 since 2026-08-11.

Work for both plans Fizz mobile and for Fizz Internet.

Code input is near the end of the (e)SIM card activation step, before the actual payment happend, in the checkout box, you need to click on the sign plus "+". We both get the bonus, after the second month. Thank you and have a nice day!

Referral info: https://fizz.ca/en/invite-friends