Telus upgrade could put cheaper internet rates at risk for B.C. families

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Single mothers who rely on low-cost home internet services are speaking out after learning their monthly bills are about to rise.

Richmond resident Casey Hopwood has been able to access the internet at home in recent years thanks to a federal program with the Canadian telecommunications giant that reduces internet costs for low-income households.

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But last week, Telus was informed that her apartment building had recently switched to a fiber-optic network, so her $20 monthly discount was no longer applicable.

“When I called to schedule an appointment with a technician to transfer me to the new network, I was told my monthly bill would be at least $80,” Hopwood said.

My son Logan, a third-grader, does his homework online using a digital application provided by his school. He also loves playing online video games.

“When he found out, he was shocked. He started crying,” said Hopwood, who works part-time for the Richmond School District.

Hopwood said that after Postmedia inquired about the price change, Telus executives called and offered to provide internet service on the new network for the same cost as they would have paid under a government assistance program. Ta.

“It’s faster, but it’s the same price and comes with an extra $120 credit. I literally cried,” she said after receiving the call.

Despite the positive turnaround, Hopwood remains concerned that other low-income households in British Columbia will face the same predicament.

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Since 2018, Ottawa has awarded Canada’s leading internet service providers the ability to connect approximately 190,000 low-income households and seniors in British Columbia and Alberta to low-cost internet services under the Connecting Families program. I have been supporting.

Participating internet providers, including Telus, Bell, and Rogers, will subsidize the full cost of their services for eligible customers. Entry-level plans cost $10 per month for 25 Mbps internet speed and $20 per month for 50 Mbps. Telus has added a $35/month plan for 150 Mpbs.

“I wouldn’t be able to afford the internet without the discounts I get from participating in Telus’ program,” Hopwood said. “The price of everything is so high.”

Hopwood said that before receiving the call from Telus, he followed up with phone calls to the company and asked various representatives to honor the discounted rates for government assistance programs.

“They said there was nothing I could do.”

She said Telus told her it “does not exclude customers from the Family Connect program or advise them to pay regular in-market rates for home internet.”

However, the company confirmed that the new fiber optic network will have a minimum speed of 250 Mbps, while services under Telus’ Connecting Families program plan will offer internet speeds of up to 150 Mbps.

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“We are actively working with our customers to find the best solution for them, including offering 250Mbps plans at deeply discounted rates,” Tellus said in an email, adding that cases like Hopwood’s said it was “rare”.

When Telus first entered the government assistance program, CEO Darren Entwistle said: “We are leading the way in connecting at-risk Canadians with the tools they need to succeed.”

“Forty per cent of low-income households across Canada lack affordable internet access, which puts their children at risk of falling behind in school,” Entwistle said at the time.

Telus’ website states that while network upgrades are mandatory for customers, “there will be no change to your existing service charges unless you modify or order additional services.”

sgrochowski@postmedia.com

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