Eastlink Tried to Force Purple Cow to Raise Prices. We Stopped Them.
Friday, January 9th, a decision was made by the CRTC that stopped Eastlink from forcing Purple Cow to raise its rates—and it matters for every household in Atlantic Canada.
Not because customers demanded more speed.
Not because service got better.
But because one dominant provider tried to quietly remove affordable internet choices from the market.
At Purple Cow, we pushed back—and we won. Let me explain what happened.
Here’s What Eastlink Tried to Do
In March 2025, Eastlink applied to the CRTC asking to remove the 100 Mbps and 300 Mbps wholesale internet speed tiers from its Third-Party Internet Access (TPIA) tariff. These are the speed tiers many independent providers, including Purple Cow, rely on to offer affordable plans to customers.
If this application had been approved:
- The 100 Mbps and 300 Mbps options would no longer be available
- Independent ISPs would be forced onto higher-cost speed tiers
- Wholesale costs would increase by 23–29%
- Retail prices for customers would likely increase by $4–$7 per month
That’s money coming directly out of people’s pockets at a time when costs everywhere else are already rising.
We Didn’t Stay Silent
Purple Cow didn’t just stand by and watch.
We intervened.
We presented evidence and arguments to the CRTC showing that:
- Eastlink had not justified removing these widely used tiers
- The change would disproportionately harm competitors
- Higher wholesale costs would reduce retail affordability
- Eliminating these options would limit consumer choice
We weren’t alone. Other independent providers, including TekSavvy and TELUS, also intervened, outlining why this request was uncompetitive and against the public interest.
The CRTC Just Ruled in Favour of Consumers
On Friday, January 9th, the CRTC issued Telecom Order 2026-7, denying Eastlink’s request to destandardize (remove) the 100 Mbps and 300 Mbps speed tiers.
The Commission was clear: eliminating these affordable options would run counter to its policy goals around affordability, competition, and consumer choice.
In other words, the CRTC agreed with Purple Cow—removing these speed tiers was not in the public interest.
You can read the full decision here:
https://crtc.gc.ca/eng/archive/2026/2026-7.htm
What This Decision Really Means
This decision isn’t just about speed numbers. It’s about:
- Protecting affordable internet for families and small businesses
- Ensuring competition can thrive in Atlantic Canada
- Keeping pressure on incumbents to offer fair pricing
Eastlink framed its request as “streamlining offerings.” In reality, it would have quietly increased costs for competitors and ultimately raised prices for customers.
At Purple Cow, we believe you don’t win business in this industry by squeezing customers. You win by putting their interests first—by spending time and energy figuring out how to reduce someone’s bill instead of increasing it.
That’s why we offer:
- Simple plans
- Transparent pricing that doesn’t go up
- Honest local service
- Prices that are often about half of what the big incumbents charge
Heading Into the Future
Competition matters.
Affordable access matters.
And having independent ISPs like Purple Cow in the market matters.
When companies push for changes that could increase costs for thousands of households without clear justification, we will stand up. And when regulators make decisions that protect consumers, we will make sure people know about it.
Today’s decision is a win for the people of Atlantic Canada—and a reminder that the fight for fair pricing never stops.
We’ll keep showing up.
We’ll keep pushing back.
And we’ll keep fighting for the Herd.