What sparked the sudden big increase in prices?

[YVRNJB]

Both of my parents are with Fido with recently expired contracts.

I was going to get them signed up with new phones on the $39 plan but unfortunately it has disappeared.

Any possibility this offer will show up again in the near future? They both want to upgrade to smartphones but the current plans don't make sense given their usage characteristics.

***Edited to add labels***

[10yearfido]

The very simple and honest answer is nothing caused it but a desire for higher revenues.

The new CRTC rules effectively that limit terms to 2 years did necessitate a modest increase in price for contracts that would have been 3 years before. However, all of the major carriers have used this as an opportunity for massive price hikes even for plans that are not, in anyway, impacted by the new rules.

Your parents are a good example. They were going to sign up for the $39 plan, which means at most they'd be allowed to sign for a 2 year term. Now, after the CRTC rules and price hikes, they can't even though they'd still be signing for the same term or no term.

Not a fan if this.

[nick67]

Now it's a no-brainer to buy the iPhone outright. Especially if you already got your hands on the $39 Smart Plan.

2-year contract: $250 + ($75 x 24 months) = $2,050

Outright: $699 + ($39 x 24 months) = $1,635

That's a savings of $415 over a period of 2 years.