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Delay in phone, Net connection irks residents

Several residents who have applied for new telephone or Internet upgrade systems, especially in Sharjah, said that Etisalat officials had informed them of a probable delay of anywhere between four and six weeks, instead of the regular one to two weeks maximum.

“When I went to upgrade my dial-up Internet system to a wireless Shamil network, I was informed by the customer service centre representative in my area that I could go ahead with my application but I should expect a delay in getting my connection,” said Mahmood Ali Abid (name changed).

“When I enquired about the reason for the delay, I was told that the system was being upgraded and several applications were still being looked into,” he said.

Said Anil Kumar (name changed), “When I wanted to make Internet upgrades, I was told they were not taking confirmation over the phone for Sharjah because there could be endless delays. I was told it was better to go in person with all the documents in place so that the application could be approved. But then, what is the point in offering such a facility if people cannot avail themselves of it?”

Maliha Khan, a resident of Al Qusais in Dubai, said, “I had applied for a new phone connection while I was residing in Sharjah. I finally got a connection at least two months late, that too after several follow-up calls. By that time I had already moved to Dubai. It was a nightmarish experience.”

When contacted, a top official of Etisalat told Khaleej Times that the delay was because the telecom service provider was upgrading its system in Sharjah to meet new demands amid rapidly increasing customer base.

Omar Al Muzakki, director of Product Marketing (Etisalat), said, “Etisalat is experiencing a high demand for broadband services access in the UAE, specifically from Sharjah. We are committed to bringing each customer the quality services that they expect from us. We have chalked out a plan to improve the services and clear pending requests very soon.”

• UAE