The UAE’s second national operator (SNO) Du has admitted that one in five of its subscribers have never used their account, according to Dubai business daily the Kipp Report. According to the operator, the total number of mobile customers at 31 March 2008 was around 1.7 million, out of which 354,000 subscribers had not made a call or sent a text or picture message during the first three months of their subscription.
The Telecoms Regulatory Authority defines an ‘active subscriber’ as one who has made or received a call, or sent an SMS or MMS, within the last 90 days. Du is hoping that its admission will be seen as an act of transparency and will win favour for the brand. Thanks to giveaway promotions many UAE users signed up for Du account, but continue to use their Etisalat number.
Du released the active subscribers’ numbers along with its first quarter results. The company reported revenues for the quarter ending 31 March 2008 of around USD20 million, an increase of 18% over the previous quarter and 313% compared with the first quarter of 2007, during which it first launched services. Du’s bottom line for the first three months of 2008 was a loss of around USD16 million, compared with a loss of USD40 million incurred in the final quarter of 2008.