An Ontario man can go ahead with a class-action lawsuit against Bell ExpressVu, three years after he was hit with a $19 administrative charge on his monthly satellite TV bill, a judge has ruled.

Peter De Wolf, 54, from Braeside, near Ottawa, launched the suit in Toronto in September 2005 on behalf of Bell ExpressVu's 1.7 million customers nationwide after first taking the company to small-claims court, a case he withdrew to focus on the larger action.

In a decision made public this week, an Ontario Superior Court judge certified the lawsuit as a class action.

De Wolf was charged the administrative fee in the summer of 2004 after he failed to pay his satellite TV bill on time.

He alleges the fee, coupled with interest charges, meant the company was demanding more than 60 per cent in interest, calculated on an annual basis. The Criminal Code prohibits interest rates higher than 60 per cent.

Bell Canada spokesman Mark Langton told the Globe and Mail newspaper that the company views the case "as completely without merit."

According to court filings, about 33,000 ExpressVu customers are charged the administrative fee — which has since been raised to $25 — each month.