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In a move to raise money without increasing “programming” charges, Bell ExpressVu said today that it will be doubling the monthly system access fee that it charges to its 1.71 million customers.
The news came in a presentation today by George Cope, the President and Chief Operating Officer of Bell Canada, where he announced the fee would be raised from $2.99 per month to $5.99 per month.

System access fees are an added fee first introduced by the wireless phone companies in an effort to disguise the true cost of wireless phone service. The system access fee allowed wireless companies to: post lower monthly package pricing; tell consumers their monthly package pricing would not increase over the course of their contract; and finally allowed wireless companies to fool consumers into believing that the system access fee was simply an unavoidable government fee.

The government was so angry over the practice that in 2004, Industry Canada told cell phone carriers to quit blaming the government for the system access fee and now as a condition of their license, wireless providers are not supposed to say the fee goes to the government at all.

The system access fee charged by wireless providers has been so successful in deflecting consumer criticism that the practice is now being used by High Speed Internet, Long distance telephone and television providers like ExpressVu.

Oh and in case you're wondering, Bell also announced and increase in their long distance network charge from $2.95 to $4.50 per month.
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