Decision to extend mobile disconnection deadline draws praise from public

AMMAN — Many in the general public on Thursday welcomed the  Telecommunication Regulatory Commission’s (TRC) announcement to extend the disconnection deadline of mobile users who are behind on their bills.

The TRC on Wednesday announced that it has reached an agreement with telecom companies to institute a new mechanism for disconnecting mobile lines after the payment deadline. 

According to the TRC, the mobile users will receive a text message on the recharge mechanism if the subscribers wish to recharge their mobile line within a grace period of one to four days, depending on the type of subscription, the value of the card and the service provider.

Commenting on the agreement, Jude, who goes by one name and  a small-scale online business owner, believes that it is “a late agreement” but it is still better than having only one day to recharge her mobile connection.

“I have an online accessory business, and customers usually call my number all day, which means that I cannot afford a disconnection of my mobile line as this will affect my business. This agreement is a good decision for a lot of people like me,” she added.

However Zaid Foudeh, a pharmacist, demands further extension of the deadline period.

“I do not believe that four days is sufficient for people to recharge their mobile lines as the situation during the pandemic has made a lot of people suffer economically. However, I believe that seven days is a more reasonable time for a lot of people to recharge their mobile lines,” he said.

Layan, who prefers one name and an employee at a private company, said that it is a welcome move.

“I do not  have time to immediately recharge my line due to my obligations at work. Now I have up to four days to recharge it, which is more than enough for me to organise my working hours and find some time to recharge my mobile line,” she said.