Industry Minister Tony Clement hinted Tuesday the government will formally respond in the "days ahead" to a surprise Federal Court of Canada ruling that quashed a cabinet order allowing Egyptian-backed Globalive Wireless Management Corp. to operate in the country's wireless sector.

The decision, issued last week, has thrown into limbo the future of Globalive, which operates the Wind Mobile brand. The Federal Court gave the company 45 days to comply with regulations governing how much control foreigners can exert on a Canadian telecom.

"We are reviewing the decision very closely and will have more to say in the days ahead," Clement told reporters Tuesday. "Generally, our position has been pro-competition, pro-choice and increasing the number of market entrants. And certainly that is our position. That's what I can tell you right now."

This was the first time Clement spoke publicly to reporters in Ottawa since the Federal Court ruling. He had sent messages via Twitter, the social media vehicle, that Ottawa was reviewing the federal court decision.

In December 2009 the federal cabinet overturned a decision from the CRTC that blocked Globalive from operating in Canada on the grounds that Egypt-based Orascom was in fact in control of the company -a violation of federal rules. The CRTC objected to Globalive's debt structure as it was mostly held by Orascom.

The cabinet said it didn't agree with the CRTC's reasoning and allowed Globalive in.