du’s advanced 4G LTE network caters to increased connectivity needs over Eid

du today announced an increase of 35% voice and 11% data traffic over its network during Eid, when compared with the same period last year. There was a spike in communication across multiple channels during Eid week, when measured against the week prior to it; this includes the overall internet traffic, image sharing, video streaming and messaging, among others. Both UAE Nationals and residents across the UAE relied heavily on broadband Internet during the Eid break, made possible through du’s advanced 4G LTE network providing faster streaming, downloading and loading times.

This was complimented by seamless connectivity, several commercial offers such as reduced calling rates for local and international destinations and a noticeable reduction in call drops, driving high satisfaction rates among du customers.

The Emirate that saw the highest spike in mobile traffic, compared with that of the previous week, was SHJ at 16%, followed by Abu Dhabi at 11% and Dubai at 8%. Residents of Khalifa City in Abu Dhabi used their mobile phones 16% more during Eid. Across the UAE, international calls increased by 33% during Eid; whereas national interconnect calls saw a surge of 11% as compared to normal Busy Hour.

“Seamless connectivity is no longer a luxury, it is a basic human right. There’s nothing more exasperating than dropped calls during celebratory occasions, when the entire population is reaching out to those near and dear to them. By providing network access that allows our customers to connect seamlessly, we ensure a superior service,” said Yasir Al Behzad - Senior Director - Network Services,du. 

“Connectivity - anytime, anywhere has become part of everyday life in the UAE. By conducting research into usage patterns, particularly with regards to data and social media, we are able to unceasingly add life-to-life by anticipating our customers’ needs and ensuring that we provide them with a superior service every time,” he added.

Messaging and collaboration amongst du customers increased by 21% over the Eid break which indicates that people were more dependent on the broadband network infrastructure during Eid, as opposed to the previous week.

While some social media platforms experienced a marked traffic increase, it was interesting to see that Facebook use remained the same before and during Eid. On the other hand, Instagram usage increased by 8.7% over the entire holiday period, it rose by 15% on Sunday alone.

du’s Eid Greeting video #اللي_يحبني_يتصل  (call me if you love me) received over 1.8 million views on You Tube. In fact, there was aconspicuous increase in streamed media over the last couple of days during  Ramadan, and through the Eid holidays. However, online TV fixed usage remained relatively unchanged. du offered its customers uninterrupted programming across all categories and screens during Ramadan, including access to their favourite entertainment programming from the largest Arab Broadcast Networks. In addition to 200 Arabic movies as well as 150 first run TV episodes, newly released and classic Disney films were offered for free on du Movies On Demand, On Demand Club and du View.

du customers staying indoors benefitted from several offers bringing best-in-class entertainment for home subscribers across multiple screens. A high percentage of people living in The Greens and Tecom area’s preferred to stay home during Eid, reflected by a 5% increase in fixed network traffic, compared with a normal day. du recently introduced the fastest broadband download speeds in the country, of up to 1Gbps, for du Talk, Surf and Watch subscribers, enabling seamless gaming and the best home entertainment experience.

For those travelling out of the country, du introduced a number of roaming offers including a one-week data roaming bundle for AED200 for 2GB for the price of 1GB data for du business and individual customers (both prepaid and postpaid). There is 54% increase in Data Traffic contributed by Outbound Roamers during the Eid period.