Etisalat telecommunications firm has decided to extend a deadline for its mobile phone subscribers to re-register their SIM cards but said defaulters could eventually have their service disconnented.

The company, one of the largest telecom service providers in the Middle East, also said it has plans to introduce a package of new services to its mobile phone users, including the ability to transfer funds.

Etisalat had earlier warned that 1.5 million mobile phone users could have their service disonnected if they fail to register their SIM cards by the end of October within the first phase of an overall registration process covering more than 12 million GSM users served by etisalat and du.

“Etisalat has decided not to disconnect services of mobile phone users who fail to re-register their SIM cards within the first stage which covers 1.5 million subscribers,” said Saleh Al Abdouli, Etisalat’s CEO.

“But we will have later to halt the service in case users repeatedly fail to register and do not heed etisalat’s recurrent warnings and notifications.”

He said etisalat, one of the top 10 Arab firms by market capitalization, could allow defaulters only to receive texts and calls before completely stopping the service.

In remarks carried by local newspapers, Abdouli revealed plans to introduce several new services to mobile phone users, including their ability to transfer funds within the UAE, adding such a service would be launched in June 2013.

“By June next year, our mobile phone users will be able to transfer funds within the UAE…this will pave the way to launch the service that will allow them to transfer funds abroad,” he said.

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