This is going to make me incredibly unpopular but I agree with the Telecommunications Regulatory Authority's (TRA) decision not to allow any new operators into the country for the next three years.
I know there will be readers of this column who may have experienced poor customer service from Etisalat and du and are just waiting for the entry of a third operator to shake things up a little. But I'm behind the TRA on this one. We need to give the duopoly more time to up their game.
There is also a socio-economic argument in support of the TRA position. Etisalat pays 50 per cent of its annual operating profit to the Federal Government; funds which then go towards vital projects such as health and education. Last year Etisalat made a contribution of Dh8.8 billion (US$2.39bn) and in the previous year it was Dh9.6bn, equivalent to a quarter of the Federal budget.
While other duopolies around the world are cracked open with a crowbar by their respective regulators, Etisalat and du are being given the opportunity to secure their own backyards for the next three years. This period of insulation and marginal competition between them should be a time for innovative investment.
So let me propose to the management of both Etisalat and du the creation of a "Customer Innovation Charter".
The concept of a charter between an organisation and its customers is not new and has been implemented by the likes of ANZ bank, Virgin Atlantic, even our neighbours QTel in Qatar as well as charitable organisations such as the National Library of Scotland. However, a charter which places innovation at its centre is, well an innovation. The Customer Innovation Charter could become a very long list, so I've taken the liberty of choosing what I believe are the most important elements.
Let's start with services for businesses. Reliability is at the core of any relationship between a telecoms operator and its business customer.
The way to cement this bond is for the telecoms operator to draw up a written and enforceable commitment to their business customer through a Service Level Agreement (SLA), in effect a service contract.
The SLA specifies the following types of detail for any critical service that a business subscribes to. For example, minimum bandwidth provided; "burst" bandwidth available over the minimum; service uptime (availability) of 99.99 per cent; and, most crucially, penalties to be paid by the operator if the SLA is not met.
The SLA is the bedrock of the relationship. If the operator consistently fails in meeting the standards set in the SLA they should not have the audacity to attempt to sell any new services to the business customer. It would be like trying to obtain a licence to drive a Formula 1 car without having one to drive an ordinary saloon. In addition, businesses need to have broadband services and prices provided at rates similar to, if not superior to, the most progressive telecoms equipped nations, such as those in northern Europe.
Finland, which has a very similar population size to the UAE, has made it a legal right for every person to have a 100 megabyte connection by the end of 2015.
We can only hazard a guess at what infrastructure undertakings are being made for the business sector if consumers are going to get 100mb. The UAE is keeping up with other nations as a pioneer in industries such as renewable energy, so why not in telecoms?
For the small to medium-sized enterprise (SME) sector, resource whether it be financial or manpower, is always a major issue. Both operators must invest more in providing "on-tap" services and applications to this sector. This may mean hosting services in a data centre so that the SME does not need to buy applications outright. Instead, they can use these online resources as and when required.
The SME is effectively outsourcing their information communications technology from the telecoms operator in return for a flat monthly fee for a managed service.
A close-knit ecosystem of partners operating along the entire value chain needs to be put together for an endeavour such as this, from networking companies such as Cisco, to application providers such as Microsoft and systems integrators such as Hewlett-Packard.
In terms of consumers, or non-business customers, there are three items that must head up the Customer Innovation Charter.
The first is the deployment by Etisalat and du of a competitive Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) service that allows households to take advantage of making cheaper International Direct Dialling (IDD) calls. Currently, for expatriates living in the UAE, this is an unwarranted cost.
The TRA has blocked access to services such as Skype. There are ways to get around the block but why should customers have to find a scam to keep in touch with their loved ones back home.
Phone number portability between mobile operators is a second element. This means that if an Etisalat customer wants to take their number and move to du, or vice versa, then it should be possible.
And finally, the continued roll out of fibre-to-the-home so that services such as on-demand TV can be more cost effectively provided. Etisalat has made some positive moves in this space but price competitiveness is not one of them as yet.
Some of these suggestions might sound mundane. But these are the basics.
So, it's over to the management at Etisalat and du.
Rehan Khan is a business consultant and writer based in Dubai
How to protect yourself when air quality drops
Install an air filter in your home.
Close your windows and turn on the AC.
Shower or bath after being outside.
Wear a face mask.
Stay indoors when conditions are particularly poor.
If driving, turn your engine off when stationary.
How to avoid crypto fraud
- Use unique usernames and passwords while enabling multi-factor authentication.
- Use an offline private key, a physical device that requires manual activation, whenever you access your wallet.
- Avoid suspicious social media ads promoting fraudulent schemes.
- Only invest in crypto projects that you fully understand.
- Critically assess whether a project’s promises or returns seem too good to be true.
- Only use reputable platforms that have a track record of strong regulatory compliance.
- Store funds in hardware wallets as opposed to online exchanges.
Vidaamuyarchi
Director: Magizh Thirumeni
Stars: Ajith Kumar, Arjun Sarja, Trisha Krishnan, Regina Cassandra
Rating: 4/5
Expert advice
“Join in with a group like Cycle Safe Dubai or TrainYAS, where you’ll meet like-minded people and always have support on hand.”
Stewart Howison, co-founder of Cycle Safe Dubai and owner of Revolution Cycles
“When you sweat a lot, you lose a lot of salt and other electrolytes from your body. If your electrolytes drop enough, you will be at risk of cramping. To prevent salt deficiency, simply add an electrolyte mix to your water.”
Cornelia Gloor, head of RAK Hospital’s Rehabilitation and Physiotherapy Centre
“Don’t make the mistake of thinking you can ride as fast or as far during the summer as you do in cooler weather. The heat will make you expend more energy to maintain a speed that might normally be comfortable, so pace yourself when riding during the hotter parts of the day.”
Chandrashekar Nandi, physiotherapist at Burjeel Hospital in Dubai
Common OCD symptoms and how they manifest
Checking: the obsession or thoughts focus on some harm coming from things not being as they should, which usually centre around the theme of safety. For example, the obsession is “the building will burn down”, therefore the compulsion is checking that the oven is switched off.
Contamination: the obsession is focused on the presence of germs, dirt or harmful bacteria and how this will impact the person and/or their loved ones. For example, the obsession is “the floor is dirty; me and my family will get sick and die”, the compulsion is repetitive cleaning.
Orderliness: the obsession is a fear of sitting with uncomfortable feelings, or to prevent harm coming to oneself or others. Objectively there appears to be no logical link between the obsession and compulsion. For example,” I won’t feel right if the jars aren’t lined up” or “harm will come to my family if I don’t line up all the jars”, so the compulsion is therefore lining up the jars.
Intrusive thoughts: the intrusive thought is usually highly distressing and repetitive. Common examples may include thoughts of perpetrating violence towards others, harming others, or questions over one’s character or deeds, usually in conflict with the person’s true values. An example would be: “I think I might hurt my family”, which in turn leads to the compulsion of avoiding social gatherings.
Hoarding: the intrusive thought is the overvaluing of objects or possessions, while the compulsion is stashing or hoarding these items and refusing to let them go. For example, “this newspaper may come in useful one day”, therefore, the compulsion is hoarding newspapers instead of discarding them the next day.
Source: Dr Robert Chandler, clinical psychologist at Lighthouse Arabia
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Kumulus Water
Started: 2021
Founders: Iheb Triki and Mohamed Ali Abid
Based: Tunisia
Sector: Water technology
Number of staff: 22
Investment raised: $4 million
No more lice
Defining head lice
Pediculus humanus capitis are tiny wingless insects that feed on blood from the human scalp. The adult head louse is up to 3mm long, has six legs, and is tan to greyish-white in colour. The female lives up to four weeks and, once mature, can lay up to 10 eggs per day. These tiny nits firmly attach to the base of the hair shaft, get incubated by body heat and hatch in eight days or so.
Identifying lice
Lice can be identified by itching or a tickling sensation of something moving within the hair. One can confirm that a person has lice by looking closely through the hair and scalp for nits, nymphs or lice. Head lice are most frequently located behind the ears and near the neckline.
Treating lice at home
Head lice must be treated as soon as they are spotted. Start by checking everyone in the family for them, then follow these steps. Remove and wash all clothing and bedding with hot water. Apply medicine according to the label instructions. If some live lice are still found eight to 12 hours after treatment, but are moving more slowly than before, do not re-treat. Comb dead and remaining live lice out of the hair using a fine-toothed comb.
After the initial treatment, check for, comb and remove nits and lice from hair every two to three days. Soak combs and brushes in hot water for 10 minutes.Vacuum the floor and furniture, particularly where the infested person sat or lay.
Courtesy Dr Vishal Rajmal Mehta, specialist paediatrics, RAK Hospital
Emergency
Director: Kangana Ranaut
Stars: Kangana Ranaut, Anupam Kher, Shreyas Talpade, Milind Soman, Mahima Chaudhry
Rating: 2/5
Spec%20sheet
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDisplay%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%204.7%22%20Retina%20HD%2C%201334%20x%20750%2C%20625%20nits%2C%201400%3A1%2C%20True%20Tone%2C%20P3%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EChip%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Apple%20A15%20Bionic%2C%206-core%20CPU%2C%204-core%20GPU%2C%2016-core%20Neural%20Engine%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ECamera%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%2012MP%2C%20f%2F1.8%2C%205x%20digital%20zoom%2C%20Smart%20HDR%2C%20Deep%20Fusion%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EVideo%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%204K%2B%40%2024%2F30%2F60fps%2C%20full%20HD%2B%40%2030%2F60fps%2C%20HD%2B%40%2030%20fps%3Cstrong%3E%3Cbr%3EFront%20camera%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E7MP%2C%20f%2F2.2%2C%20Smart%20HDR%2C%20Deep%20Fusion%3B%20HD%20video%2B%40%2030fps%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBattery%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Up%20to%2015%20hours%20video%2C%2050%20hours%20audio%3B%2050%25%20fast%20charge%20in%2030%20minutes%20with%2020W%20charger%3B%20wireless%20charging%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBiometrics%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Touch%20ID%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EDurability%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20IP67%2C%20dust%2C%20water%20resistant%20up%20to%201m%20for%2030%20minutes%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPrice%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20From%20Dh1%2C849%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Europe’s rearming plan
- Suspend strict budget rules to allow member countries to step up defence spending
- Create new "instrument" providing €150 billion of loans to member countries for defence investment
- Use the existing EU budget to direct more funds towards defence-related investment
- Engage the bloc's European Investment Bank to drop limits on lending to defence firms
- Create a savings and investments union to help companies access capital
Cricket World Cup League 2
UAE results
Lost to Oman by eight runs
Beat Namibia by three wickets
Lost to Oman by 12 runs
Beat Namibia by 43 runs
UAE fixtures
Free admission. All fixtures broadcast live on icc.tv
Tuesday March 15, v PNG at Sharjah Cricket Stadium
Friday March 18, v Nepal at Dubai International Stadium
Saturday March 19, v PNG at Dubai International Stadium
Monday March 21, v Nepal at Dubai International Stadium
COMPANY PROFILE
Initial investment: Undisclosed
Investment stage: Series A
Investors: Core42
Current number of staff: 47