Do not trade in phone numbers, you don't own them: TRA

The Telecommunications Regulatory Authority (TRA) has said that no person may own a telephone number and no person may sell a telephone number.

Telephone numbers are national resources owned by the government and managed by the TRA in accordance with the National Numbering Plan. The TRA may withdraw from use any number that has been issued by a licensee.  The TRA could even change the format of telephone numbers, which today in the case of mobile numbers consist of a three digit prefix (05x) and a seven digit number.  The TRA cannot guarantee that the prefix or the seven digit number will not change in the future.

Referring to the planned auction of VIP packages, Majed Al Mesmar, TRA Deputy Director General for Telecommunications sector, said: “the TRA is pleased that Etisalat is supporting the Khalifa Foundation programme as well as other CSR projects through this auction and we remind all potential bidders that they will be bidding on certain VIP packages and if successful, they will have the right to use the associated special number in accordance with the terms and conditions of the VIP package.   The winning bidder will not have ownership of the number and will not have the right to sell that number at a later date”.

Saleh Abdooli, CEO of Etisalat, added: “We are pleased to be part of this great social responsibility initiative. This auction is part of the company’s continuous efforts to support social responsibility programmes in coordination with the Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan Foundation and Emirates Auction. Our partnership with Khalifa Foundation and Emirates Auctions is in line with our existing CSR strategy to work collaboratively with other organisations on projects that will have a positive impact on society.”

Al Abdooli highlighted that part of the auction revenue will be used to support Khalifa Foundation programmes while another part will be used to support Etisalat’s CSR projects. He also mentioned that the auction will be done on Etisalat VIP packages where customers can enjoy exclusive benefits along with VIP treatment under the laws and regulations that govern the telecoms sector in the UAE.
 

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