The mobile telephone operator du says its text-message system is working fine, despite complaints from customers. Since late last week, some du subscribers have said they were unable to send text messages. Others, particularly those outside of Dubai, said the service remained reliable. Several staff at the du customer service centre said a network upgrade has caused some problems. Two agents said complaints had increased since Thursday.
However, du management said service had been normal. "The success rate for sending and receiving SMS messages did not deteriorate during the last four days across the UAE," the company said on Sunday. The company said there had been no modifications in the SMS system in the past month that could have caused poor service. The company, which launched its commercial operations in early 2007, has struggled to keep pace with the demand for telecommunications services in the UAE, where there are twice as many mobile subscriptions as residents, the highest ratio in the world.
Text messaging on the company's network rose by 84 per cent in the first days of Ramadan in September. At the time, officials said large investments in new network infrastructure would prevent disruptions to its service. tgara@thenational.ae