Anger over Telus and Bell Mobility's plans to begin charging customers for incoming text messages appears to be rippling all the way to Ottawa, with one minister calling it an "ill thought-out decision."
A statement from Industry Minister Jim Prentice said the decision has raised "serious consumer concerns" because in theory, the change could mean customers would be charged for unwanted and unsolicited spam messages.
"While I have no desire to interfere with the day-to-day business decisions of two private companies, I do have a duty as Minister of Industry, when necessary, to protect the interests of the consuming public. I believe this was an ill-thought out decision," Prentice said in the statement released Wednesday.
Prentice said he has sent letters to the CEOs of both Bell Mobility and Telus, requesting a meeting within the next month for an explanation.
"I've heard from consumers across the country, who are very concerned about this," Prentice told reporters in Calgary Wednesday. "I have an obligation as the Minister of Industry to sit down with the two companies and hear their side of the story."
Prentice said the meeting is being sought "with a view to finding a solution that provides the best service to consumers at the best price."
The NDP is asking Prentice to sign their online petition against the companies' plans. The party says more than 7,000 people have signed the petition on their website since Tuesday as of early Wednesday evening.
The new pricing structures are slated to come into effect in August.
Bell's plan would kick in on Aug. 8 while Telus' plan would take effect on Aug. 24.
The move will affect pay-per-use wireless customers who had previously only been charged for each message they sent.
Now, they will be charged the same amount, 15 cents, for every message they receive.
The change will not affect customers who have text messages bundled into their phone plans.
Bell and Telus say they had little choice but to bring in a new fee, given an explosion in the use of texting.
Telus spokesperson Shawn Hall told 麻豆影视 the reason for the "moderate charge" is to "recover the cost of the investment we're making in the network to handle the exponential growth in text messaging."
Bell spokesperson Jason Laszlo said almost all major North American wireless carriers have taken the same pricing approach.
"We are simply aligning ourselves with market realities," Laszlo wrote in an email to the Globe and Mail.
