UAE telecoms are now prohibited from imposing pay-per-use data plans.This includes Etisalat and du, unless requested by customers.
“In order to protect the subscribers from excessive charges of the service “Pay-per-use data”, TRA instructed the operators (@dutweets and @etisalat ) to discontinue this service unless the subscriber explicitly requests it from the operator,” the TRA announced on Twitter.
The two telcos offered data-on-demand, which means paying by the minute to access mobile data.
The process may be simple in subscribing to the data plans, but once the user forgets to unsubscribe, cases of bill shocks take place.
“This decision reflects TRA’s keenness to achieve customers’ happiness by implementing the best international standards on the services provided by the licensees in the country, providing the best services and the highest quality, and giving the subscribers more freedom and flexibility in choosing the services they desire,” the TRA said in a statement.
Etisalat immediately informed their customers about the changes.
“Great news! No more bill shocks on data! To prevent unexpected charges, pay-as-you-go data has been blocked from 1st July 2019. For on-demand mobile internet, please dial *800# and use Play on Demand for only 5 fils/min.”
