Text messaging spikes 84% first day of Ramadan

A man walks by an advertisement for the telecommunications company du in Abu Dhabi.

A flood of text messaging in the early days of Ramadan put the country's newest mobile phone network to the test. Local text messaging was up nearly 85 per cent on the du network, which accounts for more than one-quarter of the UAE's mobile subscribers. "We certainly expected a spike in usage figures over the first day of Ramadan," said Farid Faraidooni, an executive vice president at du. "We anticipate [something similar] around Eid as well." International text messages shot up by 58 per cent, with the country's expatriate Muslim majority thinking of home at a time of strong religious and cultural traditions. International calls rose 21 per cent. The need to handle the increase in traffic highlights the pressure on the country's mobile networks. Since launching early last year, du has invested more than Dh2 billion (US$548 million) in infrastructure expansion as it races to build a national network that can compete with Etisalat, the former monopoly operator. In the three months to June, the company spent more than Dh5m a day on network expansion and is expected to continue investment at this level until at least the end of the year. The company says its heavy spending has paid off, and that the days of its network buckling under pressure from high traffic are over. "Our network capacity enhancement is an ongoing activity on a daily basis," Mr Faraidooni said. "Our customers are sure to feel the difference between last Eid and this one." Etisalat, which has been continuously expanding its networks for 30 years, invested more than Dh3.5bn in its fixed-line and mobile infrastructure last year and is set to spend a similar sum this year. The company declined to comment for this story. The commercial and economic impact of Ramadan is mixed, with shorter working hours and daylong fasting often offset by the festive, celebratory aspects of the holy month. Food consumption typically increases, despite the daytime fasting. Prices for basic foodstuffs rise, having serious financial consequences for budget-conscious families. Governments often use price controls and increased ­import quotas to minimise the impact. A similar phenomena of both decreasing and increased consumption is true for mobile networks, Mr Faraidooni said. "On the one hand, there are reduced working hours, which naturally means a reduction in business phone usage," he said. "On the other, this is the month where people send each other greetings and congratulations and tend to call family members who are abroad more often." [e-mail]