The Ministry of Communications has set up a committee to formulate a new model for telephone invoices for customers of cellular operators, in order to improve the invoices’ transparency. The decision to set up the committee is a sign of the failure of the ministry’s previous attempt in this direction, when, two years ago, it promoted amendment 5262, which was designed to created fair disclosure and accurate billing in telephone invoices.
The Ministry of Communications plans to require communications companies to present additional figures in their telephone invoices, which will enable subscribers to compare various cellular plans offered by the companies.
Minister of Communications Ariel Atias said, “I intend to put an end to the fog in the billing plans, and give consumers the optimal tools to decide if the company and plan suit their needs. The measure is part of the removal of barriers ahead of the transition to number portability.”
The Ministry of Communications decided that the companies must provide additional information, which they are not currently mandated to provide, including a synopsis of the plan and its terms, including the expiry date of the commitment; fines levied on consumers who quit a plan before its expiry; actual figures on consumption of services and not just on consumption for billing purposes; average monthly use of services (airtime, messaging, and data), and average use of services over a six-month period.
Published by Globes [online], Israel business news - www.globes.co.il - on October 14, 2007
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