99% in UAE own mobiles

Abu Dhabi: Ninety-nine per cent of UAE residents have mobile phones, a survey by the Telecommunications Regulatory Authority (TRA) has reported.

The survey provided details of the use of information and communication technology (ICT) services in the UAE.

"Only 46 per cent of households have fixed line phones as many prefer the use of a mobile phone only, the survey showed. "The survey gives an indication about users, quality and the price of services in the UAE. The survey was done by TNS," Mohammad Nasser Al Ganem told Gulf News on the sidelines of the event to release the survey.

Call rates

Asked if the calling rates on mobile and landline phones will come down in the foreseeable future, Al Ganem said: ‘That's something for the operators to look at." TRA said a total of 2,109 households and 2,133 individuals participated in the TRA's study, which was undertaken during the course of this year. The survey spanned multiple services including fixed telephony, mobile telephony and the internet.

The survey examined many factors, which cover different areas in the ICT sector such as the extent to which households and individuals in the UAE have access to ICT services and the extent to which households and individuals in the UAE use them in terms of time and spend.

Furthermore the survey measures the ICT services that users are connected to and the extent to which users are satisfied with their ICT services.

"The survey also found that 63 per cent of households have an internet connection, of which 88 per cent are broadband connections. The most popular internet-based activities undertaken in the UAE are e-mailing and visiting social networking sites."

Consumer satisfaction

The survey revealed that consumers are generally satisfied with their ICT services; 93 per cent are satisfied with their overall fixed-line services, 86 per cent with their overall mobile services, and 89 per cent with their overall internet services.

Trend: Facebook frenzy

The survey also examined the extent to which individuals in the UAE use social networking sites. The survey found that 55 per cent of individuals have set up a profile on a social networking site. Ninety-seven per cent of these profiles are on Facebook. Sixty-nine per cent of users visit the social networking sites they have profiles on at least every two days.

Has the mobile phone become your primary communication device? Do you use your home landline phone anymore? And what do you most use your mobile phone for? Tell us.