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Canada: Wireless firms rally against roaming fee regulation

 |  October 4, 2013

Major wireless carriers in Canada have called upon the nation’s telecommunications watchdog to not regulate roaming fees, claiming such oversight would harm consumer choice.

Carrier BCE Inc, which reports say has been one of the most vocal in the debate, has advised the CRTC that roaming charges in the US for the top three carriers are less than roaming fees charged by AT&T to their consumers in Canada.

According to reports, about 18 million Canadians travel to the US every year, leading to a spark in debate surrounding roaming fees. The CRTC has largely stayed out of wireless price regulation until now.

The telco watchdog set a deadline of September 27 for carriers to submit a proposal for roaming agreements – a request for information BCE has questioned as illegal.

Full Content: The Globe and Mail

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