UPDATE!!!
Well well well, speak of the devil....
While I was crafting a reply to TM, someone from their sales team called, and had more honest and concise things to say about the matter I brought up, AND an offer I found acceptable. So...

1) If you were upgraded from VIP5 to VIP10 in 2016, you will NOT get a free upgrade to VIP20. Period. Sales person claimed that govt mandated broadband service upgrade only applies to people who did not receive an upgrade previously. Don't really buy that, since VIP5 was upgraded to VIP10 because our fees were pretty much that same. (At least he was straightforward)
2) At least in my case, he explicitly said that there are no technical issues preventing me from an upgrade, contrary to the email I received from Tm Help. (At least he was honest)
3) He made me an offer for VIP30 that I found acceptable, with a promise of an free upgrade to VIP50 some time this year. Plus, no contract. (At least he offered me a solution, not the usual "we apologize" or "we appreciate your service" BS)
4. I accepted. Not exactly ideal for me...I rather not pay more, but it was an offer I found acceptable. In other words, I pay a bit more, I go from 3 pieces of chicken to 7 pieces of chicken, and later this year, they'll give 3 more pieces of chicken for free., for a total of 10 pieces of chicken. I really only wanted an additional 3 pieces for free that other people were getting, but oh well...