Only licensees can provide VoIP services, states TRA

By Mohan Vadayar / WAM April 10, 2013

SHARJAH: The Telecommunications Regulatory Authority (TRA) has announced that the Telecommunications Law and the TRA’s VoIP regulatory policy allow only the licensees (i.e. “Etisalat” and “du”) to provide telecommunications services in the UAE, including VoIP services and that this policy has not been amended. The TRA announcement was reported by WAM.

“As to what the licensees have done in unblocking Skype’s website www.skype.com in the UAE, this action does not change the position of the TRA or amend the policy as this service is considered a regulated activity, and therefore, must be provided by a licensee. Should the service be provided through a partnership with a third party, both licensees must seek approval to provide such service after fulfilling the regulatory and technical requirements of the TRA, which has not happened in the case of Skype.

“VoIP services through Skype are still unauthorised,” the TRA statement categorically added.

Mohan Vadayar adds: Nonetheless, despite the TRA stand, Skype’s VoIP service users in the UAE continue to “uninterruptedly” use the same as they have been doing — for the past over 10 years or so.

News reports on Tuesday said the UAE telecom operator Etisalat had stopped blocking the website of Skype, the world’s No.1 internet-based phone call provider (VoIP). The move though could put further pressure on the state-controlled firm’s revenue, the reports added.

The reports  stating that telecom operator “Etisalat has stopped blocking the website of Skype, the world’s No.1 internet-based phone call provider,” had quoted Etisalat’s announcement made on its Facebook page that it had unblocked access to Skype’s website on Monday, which was hitherto denied for several years.

The statement did not say whether Skype-to-phone calls were also now possible and Etisalat or du — the second telecom provider — did not reply to requests for more comments on the issue.

Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) provider Skype (owned by Microsoft Corp.) allows for free video and voice calls and free messaging services to anyone else on Skype. Also, Skype’s tariffs for calls to mobile or landline numbers anywhere in the world are dramatically cheaper than conventional telecom providers.