The Telecommunications and Digital Government Regulatory Authority (TDRA) announced the launch of the 800 Toll-free Number Portability service from one service provider to another while ensuring that the number remains unchanged, with the goal of increasing competition among service providers in the telecommunications sector and expanding customers’ options.
The new service allows companies that have been assigned a toll-free number to keep the number while changing service providers, allowing them to experience the level of services provided by both service providers in the UAE without having to change the company’s free phone number.
TDRA launched the Fixed Number Portability service in 2021, and since then, more than 12,000 fixed numbers have been ported between service providers. The Fixed Number Portability and Toll-free Number Portability services are an extension of the TDRA’s Mobile Number Portability service, which was launched in 2013 and ported over 2 million numbers. The Number Portability service aims to increase competition among telecommunications service providers and provide customers with the opportunity to experience the level of services provided by service providers in the UAE while keeping their phone numbers.
The TDRA emphasized that number portability requires the customer to take certain steps, including paying any outstanding bills with the current service provider and ensuring that the number is not partially or completely disconnected. Following the completion of the porting process, the customer will be given a grace period to settle his/her contractual financial obligations and pay the applicable due fees.
