Cambodia's telecom regulator has urged mobile phone network operators to be more transparent on the fees they charge subscribers on opt-in services and to ensure that users are not charged for services they have not requested.

In Vutha, spokesman of the Telecommunication Regulator of Cambodia (TRC), said yesterday that while the TRC has not received any official complaints from consumers, it issued a notice to mobile network operators earlier this week in response to numerous complaints aired on social media.

“Even though we did not receive any official complaints from subscribers, we needed to take action to prevent future conflicts,” he said.

“We noticed a lot of complaints on social media from subscribers claiming that their credit had been deducted without their confirmation for accessing extra services.”

He said subscribers had complained that mobile network operators were deducting hidden fees for ringtones and missed called alerts, or for credit given to subscribers until their next top-up. Subscribers have also reported being charged for inputting incorrect codes.

“Subscribers have complained and are angry over unreasonable credit deductions,” Vutha said. “We need all the network operators to look into it and to request confirmation from subscribers before giving them access to extra services.”

According to the TRC notice, mobile network operators should inform subscribers of applicable fees and request their confirmation before adding a service. They should also provide a full list of codes for opt-in services, as well as disconnection instructions.