VoIP ban is limiting business growth

An internet survey by itp.net has reported that 89% of respondents answered ‘yes’ to the question: ‘Do you feel that the current VoIP restrictions in the UAE are limiting your business’s potential growth?’ VoIP providers such as Skype.com and Net2Phone.com have been banned for years in the UAE. A year ago CommsUpdate reported that the Telecoms Regulatory Authority (TRA) intended to legalise the service when second national operator (SNO) Du entered the market, but it has now said that VoIP ‘should be treated just like conventional mobile and fixed line services, and therefore needs licensing.’ Incumbent telco Etisalat has in recent weeks been barring any attempts to access popular VoIP applications, with even users running ‘pre-ban’ installations now reporting that these no longer work.