Canadian Broadband → MTS Grandfathered Wireless Canada-Wide Data

So I have a wireless plan with Canada-Wide unlimited data from MTS. Signed up back in 2011 - my plan is grandfathered - MTS has since switched their plans and now only offer province-wide unlimited with ~400 MB outside of Manitoba.

I've got tethering as well, which I don't always use but some months I do use up to 10GB on the tether. Never been charged extra for this service.

Received a call from "Midwest Teleservices" the other day (they've been contracted by MTS). They informed me that I had "gone over" my "250 MB tethering limit" and that I would be charged $37 (at 10 cents/MB).

The thing is, first of all I didn't go over my limit. As far as I can tell they made up that charge. I monitor my data usage, and have only used a total of 375 MB this month, a very small fraction of which would have been on the tether (email, a few twitter refreshes, that's it). They offered to reverse the charge immediately - so long as I do one of two things: monitor my tethering usage from now on to keep it below 250MB, or switch to a new plan.

This struck me as suspicious: they claim that a "technical error" has caused them to never charge for tethering data overages for customers with similar plans (a glitch which has been going on for more than 2 years, if my account is any indication). All of a sudden, they're using a third party to contact customers on grandfathered plans, claiming that they're going to be charged for tethering overages, and offering to switch terms. The supervisor I spoke to at MTS (I called them right away after getting the third party call) advised me that I would not be able to keep the terms of my original plan if I made changes - basically, pay $20 extra for "unlimited" tethering (which I've been getting for the past 2 years at the current rate) and lose Canada-wide unlimited, or keep Canada wide unlimited but effectively don't tether anymore.

Anyone else get a similar call? I have to check the original terms of my contract (at home in my filing cabinet, I'm out of town at the moment) but if I'm correct in assuming that my contract doesn't say anything about "250MB tethering limit" then I'm thinking about taking this to provincial consumer protection or the CCTS.

Also, if anyone from MTS reads this, feel free to contact me.

They might be 'punishing' you for filing against one of the 'klan'. You didn't think that a CRTC filing would be repercussion-free, did you?

Either that or they're unwittingly poking a hornet's nest with a stick....

Told the wife i'm not going out for dinner with her next week. I'll be busy reading Ben's filings.


was looking over the wireless code. CRTC makes some conflicting statements about grandfathered plans. Anyone else notice? Or did I read it wrong?

Ditching the wife on Valentine's Day? You're a very brave man....

Nobody ever accused a telco of being smart.

Given the types of comments being made in 2013-685 (the wireless roaming unjust discrimination proceeding), it seems like MTS may have a reason to get people off grandfathered unlimited canada-wide data plans. My main issue is that I pay for unlimited data, why should I be limited in how much I tether?

Of course by "unlimited" I mean 10GB and then throttling during peak hours, but it's the best deal available. And in case any of you non-Manitobans are curious, unlimited wireless data here is worth 65 bucks a month after fees (includes unlimited canada-wide data, 300 minutes, unlimited SMS for baseline price of $55+called ID add on, voicemail add-on).

Sounds too good to be true grandfathered.

Bet there's a new unlimited coming out in 3 months. 90$.

Ah yes, the ol' "raise the price for the same service" move. Competition in action?

"Competitive symmetry"

More like 'reciprocal rape'.