Dubai: etisalat on Tuesday said that it plans to offer customers a reduction of 50 per cent on off-peak rates for international calls, as competition between the country's two telecom operators hots up.
The new International Super Off-Peak plan will provide home fixed line customers with more savings on off-peak calls to international destinations.
The new plan will be an optional one for customers and will provide additional benefits of zero rental and no activation fees, etisalat said.
The Super Off-Peak hours will be from 1am to 7am everyday. To activate the new plan, customers can simply call 125, or visit any of etisalat's business outlets across the country.
In addition to the Super Off-Peak plan, customers will also benefit during the normal off-peak hours - from 2pm to 4pm, 9pm to 1 am on week days, and from 7am on Fridays to 1am on Saturdays. During off-peak hours, home fixed line customers will be saving an additional 35 per cent more than the current off peak rate.
The Super Off-Peak plan will continue to offer competitive fixed SMS rates to international numbers at the existing Dh0.60 per message. The national FSMS will be charged at Dh0.30 per message.
Local calls to mobile phones during peak hours will cost Dh0.36 per minute. For off-peak hours, the current off-peak rate will apply to all national calls for both fixed line and mobiles. Charges for international and national calls to fixed lines during peak time will cost an additional 10 per cent under this new plan.
Essa Al Haddad, etisalat's chief marketing officer, said: "This latest initiative is part of etisalat's continuous efforts to offer an outstanding value to our customers."
Your comments
How many people are calling at 1am? Especially if you are calling India and Pakistan because at 1am it's 2am there. I don't think its a good deal.
Faisal
Dubai,UAE
Posted: March 18, 2009, 15:07
The so called concessions will not benefit the majority. May be for people in Dubai who have business contacts in the US will have reduced bills. On the other hand etisalat shall slash the rates by 50 percent. Please see the model in India. Both local and international calls are quite cheap. I think if the rates are reduced substantially, the traffic will multiply and more money will come in.
Krishnamurthy
Dubai,UAE
Posted: March 18, 2009, 14:56
Etisalat, offer 90% discount between 1 and 7 am, still more than 90% of the population will not avail this facility (by paying 20% extra for calls made during day time). If I start calling my parents after 12:30 am IST(11:00 am UAE Time), soon they will start calling me during day time in order to sleep peacfully at night.
Anil
Dubai,UAE
Posted: March 18, 2009, 13:58
Who will call for that time? and also increased the 10% for peak time. this is not good for the people.
Rakesh
Dubai,UAE
Posted: March 18, 2009, 13:53
etisalat wants us to disturb our relatives in home country with the super off-peak timing.
Alan Job
Dubai,UAE
Posted: March 18, 2009, 13:53
1am to 7am! who will call most of people where sleeping that time so please time should be change require.
Syed
Dubai,UAE
Posted: March 18, 2009, 13:27
Any deduction offer from Etisalat is welcome. However, It is time for Etisalat to revise its present prices instead of introducing various offers. Many Indians are availing phone calls from India instead of calling from UAE, which is cheaper. A significant deduction in the international call rate will increase use.
Abdul Basheer C. V.
Dubai,UAE
Posted: March 18, 2009, 13:23
It is good for Americans staying here. The given timings are daytime in the US.
Anil
sharjah,UAE
Posted: March 18, 2009, 11:59
Good plan, but if the local rate is not increased then it would be better because international calls will be one or two per day but lacal calls are a lot so I think it becomes the same cost.
Sahil Khan
Dubai,UAE
Posted: March 18, 2009, 11:57
It's great to listen to this news, but who will wait until 1am to call and disturb anybody while who may be sleeping and himself late at office in morning? Isn't this an old boring idea? Even Al Shamil net connection etisalat is giving on 13 month and you rent flat for 12 month.
Shahzad
Ras Al Khaimah,UAE
Posted: March 18, 2009, 11:37
Whenever there is a reduction on one side, an increase is noticed on another side. Like 36fils for local call and so on. And the timing of reduction is not suitable for most subscribers.
Mohammad Abdullah
Dubai,UAE
Posted: March 18, 2009, 11:29
1am to 7am! Etisalat is really kidding.The joke of the day:))
Shiraj Hussain
Sharjah,UAE
Posted: March 18, 2009, 11:26
What a great offer Hats Off to "Etisalat" definitely I am going to switch for some other alternative.
Asher
Ajman,Pakistan
Posted: March 18, 2009, 11:20
How many people will call between 1am to 7am? And 100% people will call between the normal hours. So 20% revenue increase per minute during normal hours. What a service by Etisalat. Hope they are not making the mistake of considering customers as fools...
Faruk
Dubai,UAE
Posted: March 18, 2009, 11:05
This is great news for us but we need this offer on fridays too. Thanks.
Darwaish Khan
Peshawar,Pakistan
Posted: March 18, 2009, 11:04
I THINK IT'S FOR LANDLINE ONLY... NOT FOR MOBILE...
From A Reader
Abu Dhabi,UAE
Posted: March 18, 2009, 11:02
It is very good but the timing is not good. No one can wake up that time to call any one so if possible change the timing and make it during the day so that everyone can use this facility. It will be good for you and for customers as well.
Thanks
Hashmat Khan
Hashmat Khan
Sharjah,UAE
Posted: March 18, 2009, 10:56
Since long I am not using any of the offer of etisalat. And I didn't call my home country for long. |My parents used to call me from there because of less charge.
Shineesh Kamal
Dubai,UAE
Posted: March 18, 2009, 10:43
It's really amazing etisalat going good this will help customers but etisalat have to think to give hours from at least 11pm to 7am.
Aemmu
Dubai,UAE
Posted: March 18, 2009, 10:31
It's a great thing to reduce prices but from 1am till 7am, who will call at this time? Isn't it very bad timing?
Mary
Al Ain,UAE
Posted: March 18, 2009, 10:27
It is good to see that 10% increase in the call cost is given at the end. Pretty impressive offers! Do we get more of these offers often? Local calls charges are now just 36 fils instead of 30 fils, which is an increase of 20%. Thank you Etisalat for extended customer satisfaction programme.
Mandoossee
Dubai,UAE
Posted: March 18, 2009, 10:20
They will introduce a new plan by removing the existing benefit. Now they introduce new super off peak rate and they increase 10% charge on peak rates!
Subair
Dubai,UAE
Posted: March 18, 2009, 10:20
This is very good.
Asif
Lahore,Pakistan
Posted: March 18, 2009, 10:15
