Mobile number portability will be available soon

Dubai:  If you are not happy with the mobile services provided by your telecom operator, you will soon be able to switch between etisalat and du without having to replace the prefix code (050/055/056).

The Telecommunications Regulatory Authority (TRA) said that it has approved the facility, called Mobile Number Portability (MNP) and it will come into effect early next year, the Arabic daily Al Ittihad reported yesterday.

A TRA official said the number portability is likely to increase the competition between du and etisalat. The facility will only be applicable to mobile subscribers who have been with the service providers (du or etisalat) for a year.

"The TRA is keen to stimulate competition in the UAE by implementing Mobile Number Portability. An impact of this will be the growing importance of customer retention by each of the two competitors," said Nasreddine Mana, research analyst at Informa Telecoms and Media.

He said the customers can expect marketing departments to be busy as the two operators introduce a plethora of tariff offers and new services to existing portfolios. "In line with this strategy, we know that etisalat has the approval to deploy its mobile money platform. In truth, the jury is still out as to the overall impact of MNP for those markets where it has been introduced," said Mana.

Etisalat declined to comment, and TRA was unavailable for further clarification and details.