ICT in the UAE Household Survey, 2014

Table of Contents Page Background……………………………………………………………………………….…….3 Methodology...……………………………………………………………………………… Introduction and Main Results……………………………………………………………..…6 Fixed Line Telephony………………………………….………………………………….…...12 Mobile Telephony…………………………………………………………….…………….…..16 International Calling…………………………………………………………………………….25 Internet Services……………………………………………………………………………….32 Mobile Internet ……………….……………………………………………………………..…44 Social Networking……………………………………………………………………………..49 Consumer Satisfaction ………..………………………………………………………………53 Annex…………………………………………………………………………………………….64 2 ICT in the UAE – Household Survey 2014

3 Background During year 2014, the TRA undertook a nation-wide survey focused on assessing the usage of ICT services by households and individuals in the UAE. The survey covered all residential services including fixed telephony, mobile telephony, and Internet. The survey examined, among other factors: The extent to which households/individuals in the UAE have access to various ICT services ICT services usage habits and behaviours amongst households/ individuals in the UAE Satisfaction levels of users with their ICT services The use of social networking among individuals in the UAE This report portrays the results of the 2014 survey. The TRA also completed a similar ICT survey among households in 2010 & The results of these surveys can be viewed at: ICT in the UAE – Household Survey 2014

4 Research Objectives Understandin g usage Expenditure on Services Satisfaction with price Satisfaction with Quality of Service Reasons for usage and non-usage Mobile Fixed Line Internet ICT in the UAE – Household Survey 2014

Methodology 5 Data was gathered from a robust sample size of 2,622 households throughout the UAE by means of face-to-face interviews. Individuals aged 15 to 74 years of age were randomly selected using stratified random sampling to mirror the national distributions by Emirate, Gender, Nationality, and Social Class. The survey contained sections on: fixed-line telephony, mobile telephony, internet usage and social networking. The fixed line section was based on household usage of fixed line telephony as opposed to usage by individuals of the service. The surveyors therefore targeted the chief wage earner of the household regarding the subscription decisions and expenditure. The mobile, Internet and social networking sections targeted a randomly selected person from each household. The survey yields a confidence level of 95% with a margin of error of less than 3%.

Introduction and Main Results - Subscriptions 6 ICT in the UAE – Household Survey 2014 Individuals with Mobile Phone Household with Fixed Telephone Line Household with Internet Connection Broadband Speed in Household

Introduction and Main Results - Usage 7 ICT in the UAE – Household Survey 2014 Individuals Use of the Internet in the past 3 months Average Number of Calls per Week from Fixed Line Phone Average Number of Calls per Week from Mobile Phone Frequency of Individuals Use of the Internet by Location

Introduction and Main Results - Spending 8 ICT in the UAE – Household Survey 2014 Average Monthly spending of Household on Fixed Telephony Average Monthly spending of Individuals on Mobile Telephony

Introduction and Main Results – Satisfaction (1) 9 ICT in the UAE – Household Survey 2014 Consumers Satisfaction on Elements of Fixed Telephony Services Consumers Satisfaction on Elements of Mobile Telephony Services in the UAE

Introduction and Main Results – Satisfaction (2) 10 ICT in the UAE – Household Survey 2014 Consumers Satisfaction on Elements of Internet Services

Introduction and Main Results 11 ICT in the UAE – Household Survey 2014 Indicator Total Population Proportion of individuals with a mobile phone 99.7% Proportion of households with a fixed line phone 59% Proportion of households with a computer 87.9% Proportion of households with a Smart TV 32% Proportion of households with a radio 30% Proportion of households with an internet connection 90.1% Proportion of Individuals aged between 15 and 74 who have used the Internet in the past 3 months 90.4% Key Results

Fixed Line Telephony 12 ICT in the UAE – Household Survey 2014

Fixed Line Telephony – Subscription (1) 13 ICT in the UAE – Household Survey 2014 Household with Fixed Telephone Line by Provider 59% of the households in the UAE have fixed line telephone connections, with a market split of 94% to Etisalat versus 4% to du Household with Fixed Telephone Line

Fixed Line Telephony – Subscription (2) 14 ICT in the UAE – Household Survey 2014 Reasons for not having a Fixed Line Phone at Home Likelihood to subscribe to a Fixed Line Service within next 3 months 41% of the households interviewed did not have a fixed line phone. 35% don’t have a fixed line phone because they don’t need one, while 60% use their mobile phones instead. Of those households which do not have fixed line phone, only 6% intend to subscribe to the service within the next 3 months.

Fixed Line Telephony – Spending 15 ICT in the UAE – Household Survey 2014 Monthly Household Spending on Fixed Telephony 68% of households in the UAE that have fixed line phones, spend more than AED70 per month on their fixed line telephony services.

Mobile Telephony 16 ICT in the UAE – Household Survey 2014

Mobile Telephony – Subscription (1) 17 ICT in the UAE – Household Survey 2014 Number of Mobile SIMs or lines, Individuals use on Regular Basis Reasons for having more than one SIM More than 99.7% of individuals age have mobile phones. 35% of mobile phone users have more than one mobile SIM card used on regular basis The most common reason for having multiple SIMs is to maintain separate connections for business and personal use (51%).

Mobile Telephony – Subscription (2) 18 ICT in the UAE – Household Survey 2014 Reasons for having a Pre-paid Connection 71% of the mobile SIMs that were most commonly used by individuals were prepaid. Multiple reasons were cited by users for choosing the prepaid service over post-paid, the most prominent being:  Do not want to pay for a monthly subscription. Subscription Type of Principal Mobile Phone

Mobile Telephony – Subscription (3) 19 ICT in the UAE – Household Survey 2014 Reasons for having a Post-paid Connection The convenience of a post-paid line and the wider selection of service and products it offers are the main reasons of having a post-paid subscription.

Mobile Telephony – Usage (1) 20 ICT in the UAE – Household Survey 2014 Activities Undertaken by Mobile Users by Frequency of Use Social networking is the most commonly used value added mobile service.

Mobile Telephony – Usage (2) 21 ICT in the UAE – Household Survey 2014 Type of Mobile phone Distribution of the SMS by Destination One fifth of the SMSs are sent to international numbers. Phone Type

Mobile Telephony – Usage (3) 22 ICT in the UAE – Household Survey 2014 Frequency of Users Changing their Mobile Calling Patterns to take Advantage of Promotions offered by Mobile Operators More than 44% of mobile users occasionally respond positively to promotions offered by the operators, by adjusting their mobile calling patterns.

Mobile Telephony – Usage (4) 23 ICT in the UAE – Household Survey 2014 Have you ever switched form one mobile operator in the UAE to the other operator More than 5% of mobile users have switched to the other UAE operator using Mobile Number Portability service. The lower prices the other operator had is the main reason of switching. Reasons for switching form one mobile operator in the UAE to the other operator

Mobile Telephony – Spending 24 ICT in the UAE – Household Survey % of mobile users in the UAE spend more than AED 195 per month, while 90% spend more than AED 55 per month. Average Spending on Mobile Telephony per Month Spending per Month

International Calling 25 ICT in the UAE – Household Survey 2014

26 ICT in the UAE – Household Survey 2014 Top Destinations called from Fixed Phones Counties called most often from Fixed Asian countries like India & Pakistan feature as the most often called countries for Asians while for Emirati’s America and Britain (as seen for Westerners too) emerge as the top countries called to. Expat Arabs make most International calls to Egypt, Syria, Jordon and Sudan. Nationality EmiratiExpat ArabsExpat AsianWesterners %% India8-79- Pakistan1-13- Bangladesh--3- Sri Lanka--2- Philippines1-2- Jordan613-- Egypt828-- Lebanon711-- Syria125-- Sudan118-- Indonesia---- America Britain Canada4--15 France2--4 KSA23--- Oman10--- Bahrain10---

Countries called most often from Mobile phone For Emirati’s and Westerners America and Britain feature as the most often called countries while for Asians India and Pakistan emerge as the obvious choices. Expat Arabs make calls to Egypt & Syria the most. Nationality EmiratiExpat Arabs Expat Asian Westerners %% India4-723 Pakistan1-14- Philippines1-6- Bangladesh--5- Sri Lanka--2- Egypt2344- Lebanon66-- Syria224-- Sudan-8-- Jordan412-- Indonesia2--- America Britain Canada3--13 France4--3 KSA12--- Bahrain6--- Oman5--- ICT in the UAE – Household Survey 2014

International Calling – Usage 28 ICT in the UAE – Household Survey 2014 Methods of Making International Calls from Fixed Phone The vast majority of respondents make international calls from the main fixed service provider line, while 13% of respondents reported using another fixed service provider line to make international calls. Percentage of International Calls Made Using the other Fixed Service Provider * Main service provider is the provider from whom user receives a bill for monthly phone rental. You may also receive a bill for the number of international calls made from this service provider. Another service provider is the provider from whom user receive a bill only for the number of international calls made.

International Calling – VoIP (1) 29 ICT in the UAE – Household Survey 2014 Individuals Use of Internet through COMPUTER to make International Calls 47% of Internet users make international calls over Internet from their PCs. Similarly, 73% of mobile subscribers use Internet through their mobiles to make international calls Individuals Use of Internet through MOBILE to make International Calls

International Calling – VoIP (2) 30 ICT in the UAE – Household Survey 2014 Percentage of International Calls via Internet on COMPUTER

International Calling – VoIP (3) 31 ICT in the UAE – Household Survey 2014 Reasons for Using Internet on COMPUTER and MOBILE to make International Calls Cheaper price and convenience trigger VoIP usage through PC and Mobile.

Internet Services 32 ICT in the UAE – Household Survey 2014

Internet Services – Subscription (1) 33 ICT in the UAE – Household Survey 2014 Type of Internet Connection at Home 90.1% of Households have an Internet connection in their home. The vast majority (85%) of Internet subscriptions at home are broadband connections. Type of Connection Household with Internet Connection

Internet Services – Subscription (2) 34 ICT in the UAE – Household Survey % of broadband connections utilised in the UAE are in the 4 to 16 Mbps speed range. Speed of the Internet at Home Internet Speed

Internet Services – Subscription (3) 35 ICT in the UAE – Household Survey 2014 Individuals Signed up a Contract with a Specific Contract Period Only 32% of Internet subscribers have signed up a contract of limited period.

Internet Services – Subscription (4) 36 ICT in the UAE – Household Survey % of Internet subscribers have upgraded to double ((Internet and voice telephony) or triple play((Internet, voice telephony and TV) packages in the past year. Individuals Upgraded their Internet Account to Double Play or Triple Play in the Past Year

Internet Services – Subscription (5) 37 ICT in the UAE – Household Survey 2014 Reasons for Upgrading Internet Account to Double Play / Triple Play 21% of individuals with an Internet connection at home have upgraded from an Internet- only to double play or triple play. The need of a higher Internet speed is the most common reason for upgrading to double play and triple play packages.

Internet Services – Usage (1) 38 ICT in the UAE – Household Survey 2014 Individuals Using Internet within the Past 3 Months from any Location Locations Commonly Used to Access the Internet in Past 3 Months 90% of individuals have used the Internet during the past three months. Of these people, 89% regularly accessed the Internet from home and 67% from work

Internet Services – Usage (2) 39 ICT in the UAE – Household Survey 2014 Reasons for not Using the Internet within the Past 3 Months 10% of individuals have not used the Internet during the past three months. Of those, 41% said they were not interested in using the Internet while 30% said they the cost of internet is too high.

Internet Services – Usage (3) 40 ICT in the UAE – Household Survey 2014 Frequency of Internet Use from Home and out of Home Most of Internet users, use the Internet at least once a day from home and out of home.

Internet Services – Usage (4) 41 ICT in the UAE – Household Survey 2014 Time Individuals Spend on the Internet per Week in and out of Home 44% of Internet users access Internet 3 hours and more per week out of home.

Internet Services – Usage (1) 42 ICT in the UAE – Household Survey 2014 Percentage of Internet Time Individuals Spend on the Various Websites by Language The majority of Internet sites accessed in the UAE are English based.

Internet Services – Usage (2) 43 ICT in the UAE – Household Survey 2014 Internet Activities in the Past 3 Months

Mobile Internet 44 ICT in the UAE – Household Survey 2014

Mobile Internet – Subscription 45 ICT in the UAE – Household Survey 2014 Devices Used to Access Mobile Internet Mobile Phone PC Data card / USB (on PC or Tablet) A major 98% of Mobile Internet users access the Internet via mobile phone, and 36% via PC data cards.

Mobile Internet – Usage (1) 46 ICT in the UAE – Household Survey 2014 Locations Commonly Used to Access Mobile Internet 66% of mobile Internet users access the service from home. Blackberry, 51%

Mobile Internet – Usage (2) 47 ICT in the UAE – Household Survey 2014 Individuals Common Activities Using Mobile Internet

Mobile Internet – Usage (3) 48 ICT in the UAE – Household Survey 2014 Factors Might Lead to Use Mobile Internet more Often 58% of individuals who use Mobile Internet services would increase their usage if prices were lower. 34% would increase usage if the download speeds were higher.

Social Networking 49 ICT in the UAE – Household Survey 2014

Social Networking 50 ICT in the UAE – Household Survey 2014 Individuals with a Profile on a Social Networking Site Devices Used to Access Social Networking Sites 88% of individuals have set up a profile on a social networking site. 70% of individuals who have a social networking profile access the sites via PC or laptop, and 81% via mobile phone.

Social Networking 51 ICT in the UAE – Household Survey 2014 Individuals Commonly Used Social Networking Sites Facebook is by far the most commonly used social networking site. Social Networking Sites

Social Networking 52 ICT in the UAE – Household Survey 2014 Frequency of Visiting the Social Networking Site/s Users of social networking sites in the UAE tend to access those sites very regularly, with 69% visiting them every day.

Consumer Satisfaction 53 ICT in the UAE – Household Survey 2014

Consumer Satisfaction - Fixed 54 ICT in the UAE – Household Survey 2014 Overall, 95% of consumers are satisfied with their fixed line services. Satisfaction with Fixed Telephony Services

Consumer Satisfaction – Mobile 55 ICT in the UAE – Household Survey 2014 Satisfaction with Mobile Services in the UAE Overall, 90% of individuals are satisfied with mobile services in the UAE.

Consumer Satisfaction – Mobile Internet 56 ICT in the UAE – Household Survey 2014 Satisfaction with Mobile Internet Service 86% of Mobile Internet users are generally satisfied with their Mobile Internet services. 26% of mobile Internet services users though, are not happy with the pricing of the service.

Consumer Satisfaction – Internet (1) 57 ICT in the UAE – Household Survey 2014 Satisfaction with the Elements of Home Internet Service Individuals are generally satisfied with their Internet Service offerings across all elements of the service.

58 ICT in the UAE – Household Survey % of Internet subscribers mentioned they would not switch from their existing Internet service provider, while 13% are likely to switch if they had the choice. Likelihood of Switching from Existing Internet Provider to another Provider, if Choice were Available Consumer Satisfaction – Internet (2)

59 ICT in the UAE – Household Survey 2014 Main Factors that would Drive a Customer to Switch to another Internet Provider Lower prices, higher Internet speeds and better customer service, are the most important factors that would drive a consumer to switch from one Internet provider to another. Consumer Satisfaction – Internet (3)

Consumer Satisfaction – Fixed International Calls 60 ICT in the UAE – Household Survey 2014 Satisfaction with International Calling From Fixed Line Phone Individuals were typically satisfied with the quality of international calls from their fixed line phones, but not as satisfied with the price of calls.

Consumer Satisfaction – Fixed and Mobile International Calls 61 ICT in the UAE – Household Survey 2014 Reasons for Asking People from other Countries to Call Instead of Calling them from Individual Fixed and/or Mobile Phones 9% only of fixed telephony users and 10% of mobile users sometimes ask people from other countries to call them. Most do so because it is cheaper to make inbound international calls.

Service Complaints (1) 62 ICT in the UAE – Household Survey 2014 Individuals ever Submitted a Complaint in Relation to the Telecommunication Services in the UAE Services to which Complaint(s) Relate 9% of individuals have submitted a complaint to their telecom service providers. 29% of individuals are aware that they can escalate there complaints to the TRA. Of those, 10% only have ever raised a complaint to the Telecommunications Regulatory (TRA). 39% of these complaints are related to Internet services, 34% to mobile services, and 7% to fixed telephony.

63 ICT in the UAE – Household Survey 2014 Satisfaction with Fixed Line/ Internet Services Transparency Related Aspects Individuals are generally satisfied with their Fixed Line and Internet Service Transparency related aspects. Service Complaints (2)

ANNEX 64

Sample Distribution & Structure 65 ICT in the UAE – Household Survey 2014 Gender Nationality Distribution of Sample by: Emirate UAE Nationals, 14% Westerners, 3% The survey sample frame was designed to ensure the results are as representative as possible of the entire population of the UAE of people aged between 15 and 74.