Canada Industry Min: Switch Cos if Unhappy With Cell Fee Plan

OTTAWA -(Dow Jones)- Canadian Industry Minister Jim Prentice Friday said customers disgruntled over the decision by two cell-phone companies to charge for incoming text messages should look for alternative service providers.

He said he had informed the chief executives of Bell Mobility, a unit of BCE, and Telus that the government had no intention of interfering with the daily business decisions of private companies.

Prentice had summoned the executives to express his "serious concerns" that customers could be charged for spam text messages when the companies implemented their new fee plan.

He said they assured him customers charged for spam messages could contact their service providers to have the costs removed from their bills.

"Given these undertakings by Bell Mobility and Telus, I would encourage consumers dissatisfied with existing plans to seek alternatives," Prentice said in a statement. "The telecommunications market in Canada is dynamic - choice is available."

Prentice said he instructed his officials to monitor market activity and work with third-party experts to study trends and costs in the wireless market, and the results will be made publicly available on an ongoing basis.

-Nirmala Menon, Dow Jones Newswires; 613-237-0668; nirmala.menon@dowjones.com

(END) Dow Jones Newswires

Posted to the site on 9th August 2008