TRA announces commercial launch of CPS

In a landmark achievement, the Telecommunications Regulatory Authority (TRA) announces last month’s commercial launch of Carrier Pre-Selection (CPS) for fixed-voice calls by licensees, du and Etisalat. 

“This is a significant milestone for the licensees and it carries a great benefit for the telecommunications industry in the UAE.  Users are now having the opportunity to choose their service provider regardless of the main access line provider,” said TRA Director General H.E. Mohamed Nasser Al Ghanim commenting on the implications this commercial launch has on the UAE market.  

CPS is the more advanced mechanism of Carrier Selection (CS) as it  allows customers to select their preferred service provider to route their fixed-voice calls without having to dial additional codes on the telephone or programming on-site equipment.  CPS uses network access technology which allows traffic originating from the customer’s line to be routed to the network of the chosen service provider as the "selection" of the preferred provider is automatically carried out by the exchanges in the public network of the main access line provider. A customer, whether business or residential, who is physically connected to Etisalat’s network will be able to have access to services from du’s network; similarly, businesses and residential customers physically connected to du’s network will be able to enjoy services from Etisalat.

“This achievement took significant effort from both licensees, and the TRA congratulates their dedication and commitment to bring about the successful implementation of this mechanism. As the regulatory authority, it is the TRA’s roll to safeguard the ICT sector in the UAE, and one of the ways we can encourage growth in the sector is through healthy competition among its service providers,” added Al Ghanim. 

In the early part of the 3rd quarter of 2011, both licensees announced the soft launch of this service which was regarded as a final stage of the testing. The soft launch was designed to assess all aspects of the service including the customer facing systems, the inter-operator systems, the order and provision process, and the technical capabilities.

“The decision to introduce Carrier Pre Select by the TRA is yet another forward looking move to offer better choice in telecom connectivity to UAE residents. It underscores our corporate philosophy of extending our services to benefit the community at large through our services, commented Osman Sultan, CEO, du.

The TRA continually endeavors to deliver the utmost in service offering to the UAE maintaining its regional leading position in the telecommunications industry. Through directives such as these to promote competition in the market, the TRA is delivering on its ambition for the nation.