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| Two cellphone SIM cards (bottom and top) (Photo credit: Wikipedia) |
The UAE's Telecommunications Regulatory Authority (TRA) last week launched a new campaign, 'My number, my identity'. It's probably my fault and certainly not the almost impenetrably obtuse language of the announcement which is clarified by Gulf News today in a story that, try as I might, I could not find online.
We're all going to have to trot off and re-register our mobile SIMs with whichever operator we're with. From July 17th, Etisalat will have over 100 registration points around the country where you can go, eagerly clutching your national ID or passport with visa, and complete an application form to, effectively, re-apply for your mobile phone number. Du didn't confirm its re-registration arrangement intentions to GN in order to make the story, but CEO Osman Sultan, quoted in the TRA release lauding the TRA's campaign, did say customers could go to Du shops.
Many of you will recognise July 17th as the likely starting point for Ramadan, the ideal time to conduct a national campaign of this sort.
Unregistered SIM cards will be cancelled "once the registration period expires" according to the GN story. We haven't been told when that is, or what likely timescale they have in mind.
There are 12.36 million mobile lines out there. It's taken five years for the Emirates ID Authority to 'roll out' the national ID card. How long will it take this campaign I wonder? How many needless frustrations, queues, visits to physical locations and extended deadlines, empty threats, retracted announcements and 'clarifications' are we set to see?
But believe me folks, take this one seriously and get in there early. Because if there's one thing these bohos can do well, it's cut people off...
7 comments:
Nah! Doubt they will cut off lines. That means for Etisalat decrease in profits which is already sliding. This saga will continue for five years unless they make it a point where users just have to drop an envelope in a box with copy of their national id and a form that has name, address and telephone. That would make things easy. No que. Or a form to fill online with their national id number or upload a scan copy. They can cross check with National ID database after all that's the whole point of it right.
I wouldn't get in early - wasn't there a problem when people who did the ID early had to re do it as they changed the process half way through?
Based on my ID experience I would wait for the 3rd time extention and they go down!
Rediculous http://kunt.org
Situation normal - there'll be a number of 'clarifications' followed by...nothing.
Erm, Itisalot already knows who's got every phone number. I had to hand over my EIDA card, of which a photocopy was retained, before they'd give me a SIM card.
My name appears on Itisalot's website for payment of phone bills and topping up prepaid credit. Why the need to get punters to reconfirm information the telco already has? What an unadulterated farce.
It probably just applies to prepaid sims which obviously have much more room to be used for naughty stuff.
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