How to Cancel Etisalat WiFi Connection: Fees, Steps, and Timing

To cancel your Etisalat WiFi (now branded as e&), call 800101, walk into any e& business center, or submit the request through the e& UAE app.¹ If your commitment period hasn’t ended, expect to pay an early exit charge equal to one month’s plan rent or AED 1,000, whichever is lower, plus a prorated amount for any equipment bundled into your contract.² The steps are simple; the money you owe depends on when in your billing cycle you call and how much of your contract is left.

Three Ways to Submit the Request

All three channels reach the same outcome. Pick whichever suits you:

Call 800101, the toll-free customer care line for home internet subscribers. You’ll verify your identity on the phone and the agent processes the disconnection.¹
Visit an e& business center. Locations operate across the UAE. Bring your original Emirates ID; the representative will confirm you’re the account holder before doing anything.³
Use the e& UAE app. Log in with your eLife account number, open your active plan, and look for the cancellation or manage option. The app walks through the remaining steps and gives you a confirmation.

Whichever route you take, ask for a reference number. That’s your proof of when the request was filed, which matters when the final bill lands.

What to Have Ready

Gather a few things before you contact e&. You’ll need your Emirates ID and your eLife account number, which appears on your monthly bill and inside the e& UAE app. If your plan is tied to a landline number, keep that handy too, as the agent may use it to pull up the account.

Locate the router and any other equipment installed with the service: TV box, home phone handset, and the ONT (the small box mounted near your wall connection). You’ll be returning most of it, and knowing where each piece is now saves a scramble later.

Early Termination Fees

If your commitment period is still running, e& charges an early exit fee made up of two parts. Home Wi-Fi plans typically carry a 12-month or 24-month commitment, depending on whether you subscribed to a single service or a bundled triple-play package.⁴

The Basic Exit Charge

This is one month of your plan’s recurring fee or AED 1,000, whichever is lower.² If your plan costs AED 389 per month, your basic exit fee is AED 389. If a plan runs above AED 1,000 a month, the charge caps at AED 1,000. Plans with no commitment period don’t attract this charge at all.

Device Charges

On top of the basic exit charge, you owe a prorated amount for any equipment bundled into the contract. e& takes the device’s retail price, divides by the total agreement length in months, and multiplies by the months remaining. The retail prices e& uses are:²

Router: AED 240, AED 540, or AED 960, depending on the model
4K TV box: AED 480 for the standard unit, AED 720 for the recorder
Home phone: AED 120
Gaming controller: AED 120

Worked example: an AED 540 router on a 24-month contract, canceled after 12 months, gives (540 ÷ 24) × (24 − 13) = AED 247.50. Add that to the basic exit charge for your total early termination cost. Any outstanding monthly bills must also be settled, and 5% VAT applies on top.

Timing Around Your Billing Cycle

This is where most people leak money. Once a new billing cycle starts, you owe that full month, even if you cancel on day three. Submit the request a couple of days before your billing cycle renews. Switching off the router doesn’t stop the charges; the service stays active until e& formally processes the disconnection.

Your billing cycle date appears on your monthly statement and inside the app. Check it and plan accordingly. A two-day buffer gives e& enough time to log and process the request before the next cycle triggers.

Returning the Router and Other Equipment

Once the cancellation is processed, you need to return the router and any other e&-owned kit. For Home Wireless plans, the router has to come back with all accessories and documentation in the original packaging. Missing components are billed at full retail.⁵

Two options: drop the equipment at an e& business center yourself, or call 101 or 800101 to have an agent collect it.⁵ If you drop it off, get a receipt. That receipt is your protection if e& later claims equipment wasn’t returned. Hold onto it for a few months after cancellation.

The Penalty-Free Window for New Subscribers

If you signed up recently and want out, there’s a short grace period during which you can cancel without exit charges or equipment fees. For Home Wireless plans, the window is three days if no router was delivered, or seven to fourteen days if it was, depending on the plan tier.⁵ Act fast if you’re inside it.

If You’re Moving, Don’t Cancel

If you’re relocating within the UAE rather than leaving the country or switching providers, canceling is almost always the wrong move. e& offers a home move service that transfers your existing plan to the new address, so no early termination fees apply.

To request it, open the e& UAE app, tap Manage on your eLife plan, then select Home Move and follow the prompts. The service costs AED 150 plus 5% VAT for standard installation, added to your next bill.⁶

Bring your router, TV box, home phone, and cables to the new address yourself. Leave the ONT device behind; that unit belongs to the building, not your account. An e& technician handles the setup at the new location.⁶ Compared with a full month’s exit charge plus prorated device fees, AED 150 is a much better deal if you’re staying in the country.

After the Request Goes In

Expect the service to go offline within a couple of days once the request is processed. Watch your email and the app for formal confirmation that the account has closed. If nothing arrives within a week, follow up using your reference number so the request doesn’t stall.

Read the final bill carefully. It should show any remaining charges for the current billing period, the early exit fee if it applies, and prorated device charges. Dispute anything that looks wrong promptly through 800101 rather than ignoring it. Unpaid balances with a UAE telecom provider can trigger service suspensions on other accounts tied to your Emirates ID.

1
e& (etisalat and) UAE. Subscription and Cancellation
2
e& (etisalat and) UAE. Subscription and Cancellation – eLife Ultra
3
e& (etisalat and) UAE. e& Business Centers
4
e& (etisalat and) UAE. Unlimited Starter Terms and Conditions
5
e& (etisalat and) UAE. Home Wireless Terms and Conditions
6
e& (etisalat and) UAE. Home Move