DUBAI: Internet services in the UAE were interrupted on Saturday, preventing access for much of the day after what Dubai-based telecoms provider Du described as a ‘global cable cut.’
Access was intermittent with WhatsApp working some of the time, but emails and social media being completely crippled.
In a tweet posted later on Saturday afternoon, Du apologized to customers, explaining: “Dear customers, we’re currently facing technical issues in our Home Services due to a global cable cut. Our team is working on restoring the service back to normal. We’re sorry for the inconvenience. We’ll update you within the coming 3 hours.”
But the explanation came too late for many, with angry customers responding to the tweet.
The recent coronavirus has left many people in the UAE dependent on their household connections for children to be able to carryout remote learning - the schools shut as a precautionary measure.
“My son is taking an important exam online and an uninterrupted WiFi connection is critical to this. Running around desperate for a stable WiFi connection,” @AroraVibhuti wrote.
Meanwhile many companies have also closed down their offices as they try to protect staff from catching the virus - leaving people with no alternative, but to work from home.
And @veve_h added: “thank you for your update.. however your customer service team are making the issue worse. took me 30mins to get through, then the customer service advisor hung up on me. really doesnt help the situation.”
Services were returned sometime after 5 p.m..
