Mobiles in the UAE will not be disconnected due to expired IDs

To underscore the ‘Stay Home’ initiative, UAE’s telecom regulator Telecommunications Regulatory Authority (TRA) has instructed telecommunications companies to temporarily halt the disconnection of mobile services, official news agency WAM reported.

According to the directive, no mobile service with expired ID documents will be disconnected or suspended.

Individuals will not be required to visit any service centre to provide those documents.

This is the latest measure in what has been a series of initiatives undertaken by the UAE government to support the ‘Stay Home’ initiative which includes the online renewal of driving licences and vehicle’s registration cards.

Read: Motorists in the UAE can renew driving licences online

Last week, the TRA also announced that it would make available in the country Microsoft Skype for Business and Google Hangouts across all fixed line networks, as well as Microsoft Times, Zoom and Blackboard across all its networks “exceptionally and until further notice” as a means to support businesses who were operating remotely.

Read: Skype for Business, Google Hangouts, other applications now available in the UAE

The UAE has reported a total of 468 Covid-19 infections in the country.

A national sterilisation programme is underway that will continue until Saturday April 4, concluding on the morning of Sunday, April 5.

Read more: UAE extends sterilisation programme, movement to remain restricted

Carried out daily from 8pm until 6am the following morning, the programme will include the disinfection of private and public facilities.