By M.A. Mannan

AN OVERWHELMING majority of respondents to an Emirates Telecommunications Corporation (Etisalat) survey has favoured flat charges for the Internet service provided by the UAE's sole telecom service provider.

Over 1,500 Internet-users volunteered themselves for the fortnight-long online poll, with 74 per cent of them giving their votes for flat charges, while up to 25 per cent wanted the existing usage-based system to continue.

This survey is part of a series being conducted by Etisalat to elicit opinion of subscribers on its Internet service, including their online shopping experiences.

Ahmed Faisal Al Dosery, Etisalat's Public Relations Manager, said the surveys were being conducted by Etisalat's marketing department as part of efforts to know the expectations and requirements of subscribers.

The survey, conducted on its web site www.emirates.net.ae, generated tremendous response right from the first day of its launch. This was the first time Etisalat has sought the public's opinion on the charges for the Internet service, which was introduced in the UAE in August, 1995.

"This poll is not scientific and reflects the opinion of only those Internet subscribers who have chosen to participate. The results cannot be assumed to represent the opinion of Internet users in general, nor of the public as a whole," Etisalat officials asserted.

The corporation effected in June last year a major reduction in the Internet tariff, with the dial-up charges halved from Dh6 to Dh3 per hour and monthly rental charges reduced to Dh20 from Dh85. The one-time registration fee is Dh200. Currently, the peak time (6am to 1am) charge is Dh3 per hour, while the off-peak time (1am to 6am) charge is Dh1.80 per hour.

According to officials, basic dial-up service is the most common method of accessing the Internet for individual users, home users and small businesses using standard modem (56 kbps). Subscribers using the 128 kbps modem are charged Dh6 per hour during peak time and Dh3.60 per hour during off-peak time.

Charges for the Integrated Service Digital Network (ISDN), used for multi-media applications and faster service, are Dh200 for line installation and Dh100 for quarterly rental.

Mr Doseri, chief of Etisalat's Public Relations Department, has said that the corporation would continue to review charges of its services as part of its commitment to provide services at affordable rates. There has been persistent demands from subscribers and the business community for reduction in the Internet service charges.