TDRA is the statutory body responsible for the regulation of the Telecommunications Sector in the UAE. TDRA regulates the sector according to its mandate: the Telecommunications Law – Federal Law by Decree No. (3) of 2003 Regarding the Organization of Telecommunications and its amendments and according to State Policy.

Through TDRA´s Regulatory Framework we aim to create - where appropriate and needed - a set of regulatory instruments that will enable the UAE in reaching its objectives. (The objectives of TDRA include: ensuring adequacy and enhancement of Telecom and ICT services throughout the UAE; establishing and implementing a regulatory framework; and promoting the UAE as a regional ICT hub)

Our responsibility/functions covers various areas of regulation, such as; consumer protection, allocation of scarce resources (spectrum and numbers), interconnection of licensee´s networks which will ensure that you can reach any subscriber to a number regardless of where they are and whom they are getting their services from, ensure the use of approved telecommunications devices, licensing and competition safeguard that acts as regulation of a market that is not competitive on its own.

When regulating the Telecommunications sector, TDRA carefully analyses the need for regulation. In an otherwise functional market, very little regulation is necessary to ensure appropriate consumer rights and fair competition as most markets will ensure such factors via a natural selection of the best/most competitive services/products. However, due to the nature of the telecommunication market; the unusually high cost of establishing the required infrastructure and the appropriate allocation of scarce resources the market forces doesn´t work on its own. Therefore there is a need to regulate the Telecommunications Sector in order to ensure the supply, the prices, quality of service and consumer rights.

When TDRA - with the corporation of the industry - identifies areas that need to be regulated in order to correct a competitive imbalance TDRA will consult with the relevant stakeholders, take their point of views into consideration when finalizing a regulatory instrument. Further to maintaining close dialog with the industry TDRA will investigating the need for regulation investigate best practices in other jurisdictions. TDRA will only regulate where appropriate and will where market forces are sufficient de-regulate and let the market regulate itself.