CRTC raises revenue threshold for telecom contribution fund, despite Big Three opposition

Score one for the little guys. The CRTC has approved a request from a group of independent telcos asking for the regulator to increase the annual revenue threshold for companies to participate in a contribution fund. Effectively, prior to the decision, all companies whose service revenues surpassed $10 million were required to contribute to the CRTC’s national contribution fund, which supports internet and telecommunications accessibility across the country. Qualifying companies were also ordered to pay annual telecommunications fees, which help cover the cost of the regulator’s year-to-year operations. The $10 million mark had not been updated since 2000, when the funding regime was established, but the regulator announced on Wednesday that the threshold would be increased to $25 million, a target that will likely take effect in 2027. “This change will help reduce regulatory burden on small TSPs (telecommunications service providers) by eliminating certain administrative and financial requirements,” read the CRTC’s decision. As a result, it’s expected that the number of telcos required to contribute to the CRTC fund will decrease by 40 per cent, while qualifying firms will face an annual payment average of one per cent. As part of its reasoning, the regulator noted that contribution-eligible revenues have “significantly increased due to inflation,” while the introduction of high-speed and mobile services have also comparatively boosted telecoms revenues since the policy was introduced more than a quarter century ago. The CRTC also considered raising the threshold as high as $100 million, but found “insufficient evidence” to support such an increase. The application, filed by the Independent Telecommunications Providers Association (ITPA) in 2024, also asked for the new threshold to be backdated, as well as the new standard to be annually indexed to inflation moving forwards — though both requests were rejected by the regulator. Instead, the new revenue threshold will be reviewed “only as required,” citing that an ever-changing standard would cause uncertainty for telcos of all sizes. The ITPA counts 21 member companies from across Canada, including Quebec firms Cooptel and Sogetel, CityWest in B.C., as well as a slew of Ontario-based telcos. The association’s initiative faced heavy backlash from large incumbent carriers, including Rogers Communications Inc., BCE Inc., and Telus Corp., all of whom intervened in opposition of the application. “They submitted that the ITPA did not provide any evidence demonstrating that the current minimum revenue threshold had become inefficient to administer or disproportionate in its impact,” read the CRTC’s synopsis, adding that Bell also contended a revised policy would contravene the regulator’s commitment to “contribution equity and proportionality.” None of the Big Three firms immediately responded to The Wire Report’s request for comment. dlegree@thewirereport.ca

CRTC raises revenue threshold for telecom contribution fund, despite Big Three opposition

Regulatory |
By Davis Legree
|February 19, 2026

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CRTC raises revenue threshold for telecom contribution fund, despite Big Three opposition

Regulatory | By Davis Legree |February 19, 2026

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