UAE to push back number portability again

Mobile number portability in the United Arab Emirates has been further delayed, the chief executive of telecoms operator du said Tuesday. The latest deadline to launch the service had been the end of September and would have allowed customers of du and rival Etisalat to switch providers and keep the same phone number, a move seen increasing competition. The UAE's Telecommunications Regulatory Authority (TRA) had previously said number portability would be available by mid-2008, yet more than three years later consumers are facing a further wait.When asked if number portability had been delayed again, Osman Sultan, du's chief executive said, "That is correct." "We were testing. In the testing phase certain technical issues can appear. We are just evaluating how long it will take," he said. Sultan refused to predict when the service would be introduced. The TRA was not immediately available for comment.