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Dubai: Mobile phone subscribers at UAE telecom company du have crossed the 400,000 mark, giving the sector's newcomer close to 10 per cent market share of the UAE population.
According to statistics released by du, the current subscriber count has almost doubled from 250,000 at the end of March. du officials say the company is on course to meet its original target of more than 30 per cent of the mobile phone market by the end of 2009.
"A few days ago we exceeded 400,000 so we're on a good curve. That's getting close to 10 per cent of the population in a just few months since launch, which is a real achievement," said du CEO Osman Sultan.
"Anyone who expected that launching du in the context of the UAE market without any significant challenge would have been idealistic or naive," he said.
Users have voiced their frustration over poor network connectivity or dropped calls, especially in Sharjah - problems linked to the extent of du's network coverage.
At the time of launch, the network covered the UAE's main coastal areas, the road to Al Ain and Fujairah - an area which covered 80 per cent of UAE's populated area, but included several gaps in coverage where antennas and cell sites had yet to be established.
According to Sultan, du's network will cover 85 per cent of the UAE's populated area by the end of June.
Fixed line services likely by end of the year
du will make nationwide fixed line telephone services available to its customers by the end of the year, although no firm date has been released by the company.
The company's broadband internet services for home and business customers will be established "a little later" than the fixed line services, said CEO Osman Sultan, adding that specific details of the package will be announced soon. Meanwhile, du closed its number booking campaign yesterday, despite public pressure to extend the date.
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