ArabianBusiness.com - Middle East Business News
Friday, 27 November 2009 12:03 UAE time

YOUR DIRECTORY /

| Share |

Analyst questions UAE mobile subscription figures

by This email address is being protected from spam bots, you need Javascript enabled to view it  on Sunday, 18 November 2007

Mobile subscriber penetration rates for the UAE published by local operators Etisalat and du could be inflated, according to Jordan-based analysts, Arab Advisors Group.

UAE incumbent Etisalat recently announced that mobile penetration in the country had topped 150% and claimed it was "the number one telecom operator in terms of mobile penetration in the world". The company's domestic rival, du, published figures last week claiming that its subscriber base had reached one million ‘active subscribers'.

But with no official definition of the term ‘active subscriber' prescribed by the UAE's telco regulator, the TRA, there is some confusion as to the exact number of mobile users in the country.

Story continues below
advertisement

Andrawes Snobar, senior research analyst specialising in the UAE's mobile telco market at Arab Advisors Group, said that if such a definition were in place, mobile subscriber penetration rate in the UAE would be around 144% as of the first half of 2007.

"The very high mobile lines penetration rate over saturation is mainly due to two factors: the lack of active subscriber definition and the multiple line usage in the UAE," he said.

Without a specific definition of an active subscriber mandated by the TRA, Etisalat and du have the right to announce their own figures of subscriber bases according to their own criteria, Snobar added.

Mobile penetration in the UAE stood at 152% as of Q207, according to a report published by Dubai-based Delta Partners and the same report noted that mobile penetration in neighbouring Bahrain stood at 153% during the same period.

| Share |


READERS' COMMENTS

Disclaimer: The views expressed here by our readers are not necessarily shared by ArabianBusiness.com or its employees.

Click here to post a comment


Add your Comment
All posts are sent to the administrator for review and are published only after approval. ArabianBusiness.com reserves the right to remove any comment at any time for any reason. Please keep your responses appropriate and on topic.
Arabian Business would like to point out that only comments relevant to the story will be published. Any containing personal insults or inappropriate language will not be approved.
Name *
Remember me on this computer
Email *
(Your email address will not be published)
City
Country
Subject *
Comment *
Notify me of further comments


Please click post only once - your comment will not be published immediately.


MORE FROM ARABIANBUSINESS.COM

SHARE PRICE CHECK

more » MIDDLE EAST MARKETS DATA

ETISALAT.ADX

Last Price:

11.35

+0.10+0.89%

25 Nov 2009 09:59 GMT
(Market Closed)

RELATED LINKS

  1. Emirates Telecommunications Corporation (Etisalat)»

 EMAIL ALERTS

  1. Emirates Telecommunications Corporation (Etisalat)

  2. Technology


CURRENCY CONVERTOR

Tell us your story

READER COMMENTS

  1. Deal sought on Dubai World, Nakheel debts 16
    27 Nov ' 09 at 09:44
    Sultan what you are suggesting for them to do is called propaganda. True journalists didn't get into this profession to write fluff to...   More  »
  2. UAE real estate market has now hit bottom - analysts 04
    27 Nov ' 09 at 00:48
    Arabian Business has serious credibility issues to serve up this slop after Dubai has just defaulted. What expert analysts? Send them...   More  »
  3. Dubai debts crisis: latest news 02
    27 Nov ' 09 at 09:52
    Dubai will evolve and will be back stronger than ever before.For those of you with good memories, Russia defaulted on their GKOs in...   More  »

Read all user comments >

Gitex 2009

MORE FROM ARABIANBUSINESS.COM