Etisalat, UAE's leading telecom provider, today unveiled alternative mobility packages for its existing BlackBerry customers following to the TRA’s move to suspend BlackBerry services from October 11.

The new packages offer bundled services such as SMS and MMS as well as mobile Internet data services and offer value far in excess of the monthly fee, said a company statement.

The basic package includes 1,000 local and international SMS and MMS messages and mobile data packages. Customers further have the choice to receive either voice calls of up to 550 minutes per month, or to sign a 12-month contract and receive a new Smartphone for free with no up-front payment, it said.

“Since the moment we received notification from the TRA to suspend BlackBerry services, our teams have been working tirelessly to produce a range of packages which offer comparative or better value to our existing BlackBerry customers,” said Khalifa Al Shamsi, senior vice president, marketing at Etisalat.

“Our first priority was to develop a package which will ensure a seamless migration for existing BlackBerry customers to the new Etisalat alternative packages on October 11, 2010. We then designed them so that they maintain similar or improved functionality ensuring continuity of service. We also offer our customers a choice of different package options which should suit various needs.”

Etisalat’s basic package which will be offered to all existing BlackBerry customers, will provide a bundle of data and telecommunications services to replace those previously offered. For example, a subscriber to Etisalat’s Unlimited Global service who used to pay Dh295 per month, will now pay only Dh260 per month and receive 1000 local & International SMS and MMS messages, unlimited local data downloads and 10MB of roaming data. These services have an equivalent monetary value of up to Dh2,500 per month, it said.  

On top of this, all current BlackBerry subscribers are eligible to receive a free Smartphone from leading manufacturers with no upfront charges, with a 12-month contract. This means that they can avail of a completely new and modern device at no upfront cost, at a similar or lower monthly fee. As an alternative customers can choose to take voice calls under a different package with a value of up to 550 minutes. 

Ahmed bin Ali, group senior vice president, corporate communications, said: “These packages have been developed with the BlackBerry customer in mind. We have looked at the services which they use most often, and have replaced them with comparable services from our wide portfolio. We have also ensured that the volume and value of the services on offer are greater than the expected usage to ensure our customers enjoy a similar experience. Our aim is to create a seamless migration to the new alternatives.”

The new packages are powered Etisalat’s latest mobile broadband technologies – 3.5G Using the Etisalat packages, customers will now be able to download data at up to 21Mbps depending on the customer’s handset, it said.

More information on the plans are available at www.etisalat.ae/blackberry. - TradeArabia News Service