UAE: VoIP may be legalized by year end, says TRA official

The Telecommunications Regulatory Authority (TRA) is working on a policy to make international internet calls via Voice over IP (VoIP) legal, reported Maktoob Business on Sunday.

Mohammed Gheyath, executive director of technology development affairs, said: “Hopefully by the end of this year a new policy will be out.”

International VoIP providers such as Skype were banned in 2004, although neither Etisalat nor du provided cost-effective alternatives to their consumers.

“The concept of providing a service is so much related to a licensing scheme. In general whatever services you would like to provide you should be licensed for, so only the licensees will be providing it,” he added.

Etisalat and du, the nation’s only telecoms providers, will offer the service. They currently carry internal VoIP calls, but have the infrastructure to support international calls.

“The implication should not take time … both (Etisalat and Du) have the infrastructure in place. I think the minute the policy is out services could be provided,” Gheyath said.