TekSavvy's price increase is under fire from angry customers in Canada, because, well, perhaps you've heard of COVID-19?

The Ontario-based internet service provider will raise its rates by $5 per month on May 1 after laying off 130 staff members.

According to TekSavvy, the price increase and layoffs are independent of the COVID-19 pandemic — but many customers are still pointing out that increasing prices during a worldwide pandemic isn't exactly a classy move.

Srsly @teksavvy! There are an unprecedented number of people out of work AND you decide to raise prices starting in May. Talk about tone death.

— LIZG (@lizgallo) March 27, 2020

And some Canadians are urging the company to "read the room," because the economy isn't exactly booming.

Yeah, Teksavvy, maybe read the room and don’t do this when the country is facing its worst employment crisis in a generation and hundreds of thousands of people have lost their job, myself included? @TekSavvyCSR @TekSavvyBuzz pic.twitter.com/MRB7w0JlLZ

— Sean (@seansydney_) March 26, 2020

In fact, many Canadians have lost their job as a result of the COVID-19 crisis — and the extra $5 a month is the kind of bad news they really don't need right now.

Just when Canadians who have either lost their jobs OR have become 100% reliant on internet to work from home are unable to switch providers ... #teksavvy has made the "difficult decision" to increase monthly fees by $5/month, which is, according to them, for customers' benefit.

— Shanny Foo (@ShannyFoo) March 27, 2020

In TekSavvy's defence, the company has been engaged in an ongoing court battle with big Canadian telecom companies in an attempt to lower internet bills.

In February, TekSavvy even filed a complaint with the Competition Bureau that alleges Bell and Rogers have engaged in "anti-competitive practices" that drive up internet costs.

The company also suspended all overage billing for customers on March 13 to help customers "during this public health situation."

Still, with the number of COVID-19 cases in Canada soaring to 4,600, the timing of TekSavvy's price increase is — to say the least — unfortunate.