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Etisalat slashes mobile data roaming rates

Etisalat has launched the UAE’s first and lowest mobile data roaming price plans, offering maximum value and preventing bill-shocks from high data charges while travelling.

The new mobile data roaming packs ranging from 100MB to 3GB offer at least 95 per cent discounted rates with select partner carriers in 14 countries. It also provides customers with more than 50% discount on 6MB daily data roaming packs in 520 countries across the globe.

Matthew Willsher, Chief Marketing Officer at Etisalat said, “Etisalat’s new data roaming packs deliver industry-leading value, aimed to enhance our customers’ connectivity and add to their convenience. The generously discounted plans make it far more affordable for our customers to access data on their smartphones and tablets while travelling.”

He added that rich features such as mobile data alerts and data capping empower customers with the flexibility to monitor their data roaming usage and counter bill-shocks. At the rock-bottom data-roaming rates offered, they can enjoy Internet surfing, video streaming, email updates and chatting without a worry in the world.

Available to Wasel prepaid and postpaid customers covering any data roaming usage, including BlackBerry. Etisalat’s new mobile data packs offer daily, weekly and monthly data roaming plans in ‘Preferred’ and Etisalat’s ‘Alliance’ and ‘Global’ partner countries.

In addition, Etisalat offers customers for the first time in the UAE, the option to repurchase any data roaming pack after expiry of pack or after exhausting their inclusive minutes within the validity period. The packs are valid for pre-defined durations starting from the first Internet access abroad.

Etisalat has also introduced flat, discounted rates for its pay-as-you-go data roaming usage across the world. The new rates include taxes and charges set by roaming partners. At AED1 per 30kb (postpaid) and AED1.5 per 30kb (Wasel prepaid) charged in real time, customers need not have to wait for invoices from roaming partners. They can enjoy better control over data usage with real time updates on charges for accessing Internet abroad.

Etisalat’s new roaming data features prevent bill-shock: for the first time in the UAE, customers subscribed to Etisalat’s data-roaming plans or using pay-as-you-go data service will get mobile alerts on their data usage. They will automatically receive SMS notifications on their mobile phones once they reach their limit on mobile data plan or defined thresholds. This will allow them to repurchase their preferred data pack if necessary.

To prevent bill shock due to excess data usage in the UAE and while roaming, Etisalat has also introduced new data capping rules for pay-as-you-go and out-of-bundle data usage. Customers can conveniently select their own data roaming thresholds and notifications, and control their mobile experience.

“Our customers are advised to check our website before traveling abroad, to make sure they know what the likely roaming charges are, and how to reduce them”, added Willsher. “But there isn’t always time to do that. Therefore, the special mobile alert service and data cap rules will make sure that customers are made fully aware of the extra costs they may incur for data connectivity while travelling. It will allow them to comfortably conduct their business or stay in touch with family and friends while keeping their data charges to the minimum.”