Over 750,000 du mobile numbers booked by nearly half million customers

Osman Sultan, Chief Executive Officer of du said,

"The Number Booking campaign was all about giving customers the power of choice, while providing them with the flexibility of moving to a new telecom provider with ease and convenience. The campaign provided us with clear indicators on the importance of mobile numbers to customers. Our decision to introduce the campaign reflects the impact of our customers on du's strategy, we listen to their needs and act accordingly. Judging by the overwhelming response, we are confident du has taken the right approach."

"With du moving closer towards its fulfilment phases, it will launch its mobile services across the UAE in February," added Sultan.

The Number Booking campaign, which began on 26 November 2006, was extended from its initial closing date of 14 December to 10 January, 2007 in response to the overwhelming customer demand.

The initiative allowed people to retain existing numbers while switching to du or book a new mobile number in advance to ensure a seamless transition to a new service provider. All of these numbers will have a 055 prefix. The products, offers and tariff plans for the mobile services will be made public in February.

The notification phase of the Number Booking campaign began on 28 December 2006 with SMS confirmations sent to those who opted to retain their current mobile number while switching to du before 14 December 2006. Customers who registered after this date will be notified about their number allocation from 12 January onwards. For all other new number requests, allocation of numbers will be communicated by 4 February.

Customers who did not get a new number of their choice can avail of du's initiative to provide them with an opportunity to retain and confirm their current number, even while opting for du.

"We want to provide as much assistance as possible to people who did not get a new du number and give them a choice of retaining and confirming their current number while opting for du," added Sultan.

Although still in the run-up to launch, du is already raising the telecom bar in the UAE. Its announcement to offer 'pay by the second' billing for mobile lines, allowing customers to pay by the second across local and international calls, signals a new precedent for the UAE telecom market.