First phase of SIM registration to expire next month

Around 1.5 million mobile phone subscribers of the United Arab Emirates’ two telecoms operators, Etisalat and Du, have until 16 October to register their details or face the disconnection of their service, reports Emirates 24/7, citing local newspapers which quote officials at the service providers. The deadline is the first of six three-month phases of the Telecommunications Regulatory Authority’s (TRA’s) SIM registration campaign, known as ‘My Number, My Identity’, which was unveiled in June 2012 and launched the following month. According to the report, Etisalat and Du have sent text messages to the initial 1.5 million subscribers asking them to update their personal data and ensure that their SIM cards are registered under their name. ‘We are sending five messages to our subscribers… if they do not respond and re-register their SIM cards, then a last warning message will be sent to them telling them that they will lose service for three months if they do not have their service re-registered,’ said Hassan Al Abdouli, an executive manager at Etisalat’s sales division, adding: ‘We call upon all users to go to our service centres and have their SIM cards registered again to avoid suspension of service.’