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Copyright

Etisalat Charges too much
United Arab Emirates
Internet users
are still paying too much
for their access.
Press the RELOAD button on your Browser to see the latest Updates.
Last updated 18 November 2000

These pages present a case to the Internet Provider in the United Arab Emirates urging it to provide reasonable rates to its customers.

Emirates Internet reduced their rates in May 2000 to Dhs. 1.80/hr peak & Dhs. 1/hr- off-peak

Since then the following was offered:
ADSL woes at Dhs 250/month
Business One
A horribly overpriced ADSL for business solution.

Has Etisalat Hijacked a National Asset?

Etisalat had by far invested towards the best Internet infrastructure in the region. However, as we dig deeper into what they actually have, we notice a lot of mistakes. An exposé is being planned on this soon.

Etisalat overcharge their customers. By doing so, they have made the UAE miss out on the chance to be an Internet superpower, just the way it has become a trading post for the world.

Even today when the leaders of the county have great visions of E-progress, the community struggle under substandard and expensive access.

Internet would have flourished here by now, not just as a source of profit for Etisalat, but, as commercial source of income for the country.

We are now approaching 200,000 subscribers. Does that mean Internet is flourishing?  A 16 year old in the US can create better sites than we do. Just look at Etisalat's own website as an example! The reductions in rates in May were really too little too late. The new ADSL service is pathetic.

Finally, and only late last year, we have online shopping in UAE (pathetic though it still is). The sites are hosted on servers abroad. Why? Is Etisalat either too expensive or too unreliable for them?

The website for the Dubai Internet City is hosted in the USA and designed in India. Proof enough?

We are not just talking about access plans, but how Etisalat views Internet in general. It should not be a cash cow. It is a way of life. Let us in on it, and we will be good at it.

From Khaleej Times Sunday 23 Jan on page 3

The response so far to Etisalat's own survey  (survey is no longer active) showed a majority of subscribers (75% as on 23/Jan/00) favour a flat charge. (Update - vote altered by Etisalat to show less replies - 29/1/00)

In spite of this, Ahmed Faisal Al Dosery, Etisalat's public relations Manager, appears to try and squirm out of accepting the result by saying "the poll is not scientific and reflects the opinion of only those Internet subscribers who have chosen to participate."

Etisalat has a facility to email all its subscribers to ask them to participate on such a vote. Providing feedback on a Subscriber Plan preference could easily be considered less of Spam than outdated virus information or the Dubai Center for Special Needs broadcast to Emirates Internet's master email list.

"Etisalat is now monopolising, but this cannot stay for long. Etisalat also has to be clear and very quick in putting together a new schedule of costs so that a wider range of people can have easy access to the Internet" (Abdul Rahman G. Al Mutaiwee, Director General, DCCI, K.T. 23/Jan/00)

So were we all excited about that reduction in June 1999?
Of course we were.
We were tired of being bled dry.

But was it really Great News?
You decide after looking at this small table.

Unlimited is now 50% more expensive than Dial in 24 hours

STILL ABSURD !

What does that mean to us.
It means now that all those corporate companies that have ISDN LAN connections should be breathing down Etisalat's back for fairer Unlimited Rates (if they have the guts).

The main issue of Etisalat's Internet rates is the non-availability of an Unlimited Rate Plan.

Having this plan will alleviate the major gripe of many of the over 100,000 customers of Emirates Internet that use the the service more than a few hours a day.

The solution is without a doubt the speedy implementation of an Unlimited Rate Plan while keeping the toll free access number intact.

What can YOU do about it ?

One way would be for you to Email Etisalat. and tell them you want a reasonably priced Unlimited Rate Plan. When enough of their customers ask for a service they can provide but are not, perhaps they will realise that it is a Plan worth implementing.
Click here for more help

What would this accomplish?

Since they usually only respond to publicly aired opinions, it is hard to say. But it wouldn't do any harm constantly reminding them what we want.
Use our open letter for excerpts to form your Email.

What next?

Make your appeal through us. This could be by far the most effective way of making change happen fast. When we have enough people, the issue will be both directed to them and aired publicly in the media.

To add your email address to our list,
simply use the form below.

Add your email address to the letter to Emirates Internet

Allow us to make the appeal for you. When enough people have signed on, the issue will be both directed to Etisalat and aired publicly in the media. (12/Mar/ 99)

That was easy.
We have over 350 signed up, and need your support NOW.
What else?

Tell some friends about this site. We have an easy form for you to Tell your Friends. The more people who know about the site, the faster this will get accomplished.

Done That
Now What?

Sit back and take our Fun Survey while you are waiting :) You will be taken to the right place in the #Dubai Pages and from there on you should find your way. To see what Etisalat's survey back in March '99 looked like, click here.

That wasn't too bad!
Where to now?

Your choice now. Read the Bulletin Board. Check out the Technical Discussion Board. Or steam over the comparison of rates. Read our open letter to Etisalat. If by now you feel up to it, Email Etisalat directly. And for the Grande Finalé, visit the huge, popular, funny, interesting, and immensely engrossing web site of #Dubai.

You can't still want more, can you?

On Thursday 07 January 1999 the rumor first started of an unlimited rate plan during a talk.

The Bulletin Board has been put up for people to make constructive comments or initiate discussions on this issue. Please use it sensibly and ignore the silly comments made by some juvenile minds.

Write you own Letter to Editor at Gulf News or Khaleej Times

This letter appeared in the Gulf News
Letters to the Editors on Monday, February 8, 1999
Letters To The Editor : Make access to the internet cheaper, faster. From Sheikh Saqr bin Zayed bin Saqr Al Nahyan, Dubai.
Read all about it and our in-depth review and analysis Reproduced with the permission of Gulf News Received on Thu, 18 Feb 99 17:05PM GST .

Visit the IRC chat homepages of channel #Dubai which contains an amazing amount of useful information about Internet in the United Arab Emirates & your internet settings, the latest information on getting round the proxies, IRC chatting, Freeware and Shareware, the weather in Dubai, fun virus info, the largest links page to UAE based sites anywhere, and lots more.

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