Regulator warns incumbent over anti-competitive promotion

The Telecommunications Regulatory Authority (TRA) has warned incumbent telco Etisalat, that it faces penalties for trying to lock in its customers in a new promotion before second national operator (SNO) Du launches its mobile network, expected later in the year. Etisalat’s thirty-year monopoly on telecommunications in the UAE was ended in February 2006 when Du, 40% owned by the government, was awarded a 20-year wireline, mobile and broadband operating licence. The offending promotion, which offered generous discounts to existing subscribers and was said by Etisalat to be designed to celebrate its 30th birthday, has been withdrawn.