Canadian Area Codes - extra charges

[erikam84]

Hi everyone,

I am a Canadian living in the UK, and have the international Bolt On in order to make cheaper calls home. 

My parents are currently visiting and having to make calls home to British Columbia, and were using my phone for what we thought would be the cheap rate. For the majority of Canadian calls, these calls should cost mere pence, however I noticed that I was being charged 25p per minute. When I go onto the International Bolt On page, it appears that numbers to the area codes 250 and 867 (British Columbia and all of the the Northern Territories) are now being charged at a higher rate. 

Does anybody have any insight on why this is? This definitely feels like a new thing as it is something that I've never seen before. 

Thanks!

[pgn · Accepted solution]

Interesting observation, @erikam84 - but this article from 2013 shows that area code 867 is heavily regulated - so it would not surprise me to know that O2 pass the cost onto their customers, regardless of bolt-on!

https://www.yukon-news.com/letters-opinions/its-time-to-ditch-867/

[madasaf1sh]

@erikam84 

As @pgn  has said its all down to the fact that the charges are passed onto o2 through their peering partners in Canada, so it needs taking up with the Canadian Authorities. 

Bt charge up 70p per minute to call these numbers.