Published October 5, 2026

Cancel Your Old Internet Provider, No Runaround

The order, the one sentence to say, and the last-bill check.

Reading this to switch? Use code for a free first month.

Cancel your old internet provider after your new service works, not before. Then make one call with one clear sentence, return the equipment, and check your last bill. Most of the pain people describe when switching comes from skipping one of those four things, not from the switch itself.

Why the order matters

A new provider can't cancel your old one for you. oxio's help centre says so plainly: oxio does not cancel your previous provider's service, because providers want the account holder to authorize the cancellation personally. It also says to wait until your oxio internet is active before you cancel, unless you were told otherwise, so you never sit without internet.

There is one exception worth knowing. oxio uses coaxial cable lines. If your old provider used the same type of line, it has to be disconnected before oxio can be activated. Different line types, like DSL or fibre, don't interfere.

What is a transfer activation?

If you already have a working Rogers coaxial line at the address, oxio can do a transfer activation remotely. Here is how oxio describes it:

Your current service stops the day before your oxio service begins.
The name, address and phone number must match between your old account and your oxio account.
You ask your current provider to schedule the disconnection for the date in oxio's confirmation email.
You get a 9-digit disconnection request number from them and send it to oxio's Customer Care.
The date is set about 10 days ahead and can't be moved earlier, so don't disconnect early.

That last point is the whole trick. The date is fixed, so you book the cancellation to match it instead of improvising.

The cancellation checklist

Confirm the new service works first. Unless oxio told you to do a transfer, wait until it's active. Test a video call, not just a web page.
Have the account holder make the call. Gather the account number, the name on the account and the address.
Ask for a cancellation date, not a conversation. Say a date that matches your new activation, and ask for the effective date and a confirmation number.
Write down the details. Date, time, name of the agent, confirmation number. If you can get the cancellation confirmed by email, do it.
Return the equipment. oxio notes that your old provider's gear won't work with oxio, which needs its own provisioned modems, and that returning it avoids unreturned-equipment charges. Keep the tracking number or the store receipt.
Stop paying only when the service has actually ended. If your old provider pulls money automatically, look at the next statement to see that it did stop.
Read the final bill. Look for a prorated last month, no new monthly charge and no surprise fee.

What to say when they offer a deal

You will probably be offered a discount, and sometimes a good one. That's the retention department's job. In our experience the easiest way through is to decide before you call, then say it once: "I'm cancelling effective [date]. Please confirm the date and give me a confirmation number." Repeat it politely if they restart the pitch.

Ask yourself one question before accepting: how long does the discount last? A cheaper price for a few months that then jumps back is exactly the cliff you were leaving. Write down the end date and the price after it, or stay with your cancellation.

What changed in 2026: fees to cancel

In March 2026 the CRTC issued Telecom Decision 2026-43, and the Government of Canada's announcement says it removes extra fees to activate, change or cancel a plan for internet and cellphone service. CHCH's coverage gives June 12, 2026 as the date it takes effect.

I couldn't open the decision text itself (the CRTC site blocked my fetch), so I'm not going to tell you how it treats modem charges or early-exit fees on a term contract. Global News noted those details weren't spelled out in the announcement. What you can do is simple: if a cancellation fee shows up on a bill for a cancellation after that date, ask in writing which part of your contract it comes from.

A worked example of what slow billing costs

The complaints body CCTS publishes real cases. In one of them, a customer cancelled TV and internet, and the provider kept billing for six months: two months were charged automatically to his credit card, and four more arrived as invoices, with a threat of collections. After the CCTS got involved, the provider refunded the two charged months, cancelled the other four and added a $50 goodwill credit.

The case summary doesn't give dollar amounts, so here is an illustration with a made-up price. At $70 a month, six months is $420. The customer was made whole, but only after a complaint. The lesson is cheap to apply: keep your confirmation number, and look at the first statement after the cancellation date.

If the last bill is wrong

Call and give the confirmation number and the date. Ask for a correction to be written down.
If it doesn't move, ask for a supervisor.
Keep dates, names and case numbers. The CCTS recommends keeping records and giving the provider a reasonable chance to fix things before filing.
If that fails, file a complaint with the CCTS. Its internet page lists requests to cancel service among the problems it accepts.

The CCTS also notes that the Internet Code applies to large providers, including their other brands, and that it requires trial periods to make switching easier.

Where oxio fits

I like that oxio's side of this is short. There are no term contracts, and oxio's site says you can leave at any time. The help centre lists $0 for shipping, installation, remote activation and technician activation, with the modem included, so the only price to get started is the monthly bill. There is also a 60-day satisfaction guarantee if you want to try before you fully commit.

If you're ready, use code when you sign up for your first month free, and keep the old service running until oxio is working. The checklist above handles the rest.

Sources

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