Dubai: Subscribers of etisalat's landline phone, internet and TV can switch all or some of the services to du - and vice versa -- thanks to a new "bitstream access" scheme undergoing tests in the UAE, according to the country's telecom regulator.
Explaining how it works, a Telecommunications Regulatory Authority (TRA) spokesperson told XPRESS that customers need not switch all services.
Once rolled out across the UAE in December, "it [switching] will - or should - be very easy. If you are a du subscriber and you want to switch to etisalat, you simply contact etisalat and order the services that you require," said the spokesperson.
"It will be possible for the customer to take TV and phone connection from du and internet connection from etisalat, or TV from du and internet and phone from etisalat," said the official.
The regulators require operators to develop a "one-stop-shop" service to make it easier for customers. "Your order for services with etisalat would actually translate into two orders: an order for new service with etisalat and an order to cancel services with du. The inverse is possible," the official explained.
The pilot test will help TRA determine if there are network slow-downs or interruptions, though no such incidents are expected, the spokesperson said.
Many countries have introduced bitstream for internet access, but the UAE is one of the first countries globally to use it for a "triple-play" (phone, internet and internet protocol TV or IPTV) switch, the official pointed out.
Proven technology
"We have proven the technology. We are now assessing the system as a whole to ensure a sound customer experience," said the official, adding that the trial will allow them to test customer services, business support systems, order interface and the one-stop-shop system.
"We are working on IPTV and hope to have resolved some commercial and technical issues by December in order that IPTV can be in the mix of service offerings by commercial launch."
"The TRA will continue to monitor the quality of service for services delivered by bitstream. We do not expect to see deterioration in the quality of services delivered. The operators have agreed service level agreements for the wholesale bitstream service between operators."
Info
Bitstream - stands for digital communications signals - bits of 1s and 0s - that can carry TV, internet or voice signals over the same physical link.
