Canadian wireless provider Fido has reversed course on one of its most unpopular policy changes of the year, reintroducing free hotspot access to most of its mobile plans. The move comes just months after the Rogers-owned carrier sparked customer frustration by eliminating the feature and replacing it with a $5 per month charge.
In April 2025, Fido stripped free hotspot access from its lineup of new plans. Under the revised structure, customers who signed up after the change would need to pay an additional $5 each month if they wanted to use their phone’s mobile data to connect other devices. The policy did not apply to older customers who were grandfathered into their existing plans, but it was still widely viewed as a step backward in terms of customer value.
Now, in what appears to be an effort to win back goodwill, Fido has introduced what it calls a “$0 Hotspot Promo.” The offer, listed on the company’s official deals page, re-adds hotspot access at no extra charge for customers who activate new plans. Even the carrier’s most basic talk-and-text option, which does not include mobile data, has the hotspot feature bundled in at $0 per month.
The catch is that the deal is temporary. The free hotspot access is advertised as a limited-time promotion and is only available to customers who sign up for a new line or plan. Existing subscribers who previously lost out on the feature will need to check whether they qualify by switching to a new plan.
Fido Restores Free Hotspot Access After Backlash Over Controversial Fee
Aside from the reintroduction of hotspot access, Fido’s plans remain largely the same. Some still come with bonus data, including 10GB add-ons for certain packages, while customers can save an additional $10 per month if they enroll in automatic payments.
But for critics, the rebranding of hotspot access as a “promo” feels disingenuous. Rather than offering customers new value, the company is simply reinstating a feature it had previously removed. For many, the move underscores the perception that Canadian wireless carriers often test how far they can push customers before backlash forces a retreat.
The hotspot saga is not the only recent move from Fido to face scrutiny. The provider recently increased its connection fee to $80, one of the highest activation charges among Canadian carriers. It also raised the cost of roaming rates, making international travel more expensive for customers.
These actions come against a backdrop of ongoing complaints about high wireless prices in Canada, where consumers consistently pay more for mobile data than users in many other countries. According to industry analysts, features like hotspot access are not add-ons but essential functions in a world where multiple devices often rely on mobile connectivity.
Fido’s decision looks even less appealing when compared with rival providers. Competitors such as Freedom Mobile and Public Mobile continue to include hotspot access as a standard feature on their plans, without the need for time-limited promotions.
For example, at the $40 per month price point, Fido offers customers 20GB of 4G data capped at speeds of 150Mbps. By contrast, Freedom and Public Mobile offer packages with 60GB of full 5G data for the same cost, along with hotspot functionality and other perks. For data-heavy users, the gap in value is striking.
“Why would anyone pay Fido $40 for slower speeds and less data when competitors give you triple the amount on faster networks?” one frustrated customer wrote on Reddit, echoing the views of many who feel the carrier is out of step with the market.
The episode raises broader questions about customer trust. When carriers roll back features only to bring them back later under the guise of a promotion, it fuels cynicism about the motivations behind such decisions. Instead of being seen as a customer-focused improvement, the move risks being interpreted as a marketing ploy to distract from rising fees elsewhere.
For Fido, the optics are particularly damaging given that its parent company, Rogers Communications, has faced heightened scrutiny following network outages and increased prices across various services. Consumer advocacy groups have long argued that Canada’s telecom industry suffers from limited competition, allowing large providers to experiment with unpopular changes without fear of losing too many customers.
In the short term, customers who sign up for new Fido plans will once again enjoy free hotspot access, a basic feature that should arguably never have been removed. But the limited-time nature of the offer, combined with higher fees elsewhere and stronger value propositions from competitors, means Fido may struggle to convince skeptical consumers that it is putting their interests first.
Until Canadian carriers consistently prioritize affordability and transparency, customers will remain wary of so-called “promotions” that do little more than restore the status quo.
Source- Mobilecyrup
