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Looks like we are going to lose Skpe as well, see texy of letter received below. Bummer

Sent: Wednesday, January 24, 2007 6:10 PM
Subject: Usage Of VoIP



Dear Customer,

In accordance with the instructions of the UAE Telecommunications Regulatory Authority (TRA), our obligation is to prevent usage of certain Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) services.

This will mean that from January 2007, we shall prevent the ability to use an internet connection to make telephone calls from PC to Phone, using VoIP.

If you have any queries, please call Customer Care on 04 390 5555 open 24 hours a day, seven days a week.


Kind regards,

Ashley Garside
Executive Director Customer Care

CUSTOMER CARE:
Tel: +971 4 390 5555
Fax: +971 4 390 5554
Email: customerservice@dic.ae
Web: www.telecom.dic.ae

will that mean pc to pc will still work ok?

Coops wrote:will that mean pc to pc will still work ok?

Even if it doesn't, there are lots of applications that do work for PC 2 PC.
Gtalk and MSN are the most popular I guess.

Oh btw, dunno if any of you all know about www.sgoope.com
It's also a PC-phone site and it isn't blocked as of now...

yeah but before i got out here i found the skype video talk was the best out of the freebee ones, i.e less robot actions when you are talking to someone

Sounds like a monopoly like Deutsche Telekom has in Germany

I think DIC is an acronym for: Disconnecting Internet Calls

swesner wrote:Sounds like a monopoly like Deutsche Telekom has in Germany

I think DIC is an acronym for: Disconnecting Internet Calls

Is it true that in germany if u use peer to peer softwares u will be faced with charges and maybe fines ?!?!?

Hmmmm, interesting. Annoying as I only just got Skype to work, hopefully the free PC to PC calls work.

Doesn’t mention any penalties for using it though, hopefully sending the letter is just part of their “obligations” to the ministry and they don’t enforce too hard.

It is a joke having an internet city without free access to the internet though.

swesner wrote:Sounds like a monopoly like Deutsche Telekom has in Germany

What are you talking about?
"Deutsche Telekom" (the former national telecom provider in Germany) does not have a monopoly, the market is completely free and open.

Palkid7 wrote:Is it true that in germany if u use peer to peer softwares u will be faced with charges and maybe fines ?!?!?

No not true... only if you exchange material which is proctected by copyright.

bschmidt wrote:

swesner wrote:Sounds like a monopoly like Deutsche Telekom has in Germany

What are you talking about?
"Deutsche Telekom" (the former national telecom provider in Germany) does not have a monopoly, the market is completely free and open.

Free and open? I've never seen such a mess as Deutsche Telekom. Customer service would be ranked on a negative scale, computer service is unreliable, internet has frequent connection problems, billing is a scam (you need to sign-up for a 2 year contract to get a cell phone, but after that period, you are automatically involuntarily extended an additional 6 months into a recurring contract you didn't sign for, and must submit a letter in writing to the company 90 days minimum in advance to have cell turned off? SCAM!!!) I can't get phone service through anyone but them here (straight from their mouth) and if I don't like their service, don't use them but they said they have no competition here. It's them or nothing. GRRR!!!

Palkid7 wrote:Is it true that in germany if u use peer to peer softwares u will be faced with charges and maybe fines ?!?!?

My P2P runs 24/7 here

http://www.boundip.com/


Just came across this. Its a program that's made for countries that block VoIP applications.

Surprisingly the site isn't blocked yet, so you can download the program and subscribe to the service. Then you hope etisalat doesn't block that access too!

thanks ineedacoolnick

swesner wrote:

bschmidt wrote:

swesner wrote:Sounds like a monopoly like Deutsche Telekom has in Germany

What are you talking about?
"Deutsche Telekom" (the former national telecom provider in Germany) does not have a monopoly, the market is completely free and open.

Free and open? I've never seen such a mess as Deutsche Telekom. Customer service would be ranked on a negative scale, computer service is unreliable, internet has frequent connection problems,

Are you talking about the conditions in 1995?
I am using "Deutsche Telekom" for Internet access here (DSL 2000) and I dont have any problems. Reliability, speed, costs etc.. everything is much much much better than Etisalat. You are not in the UAE yet, are you? I would love to see your face, when you are using your DSL line in the UAE for the first time
Back to topic.. as there is no telecom monopoly in Germany, why don't you use some other provider if you are unhappy? There are sooo many!
And by the way... why are you mixing everything up? Internet access, cell-phone-contract, land line?

Really... I would really like to hear your opinion again after you spent a few months struggling with Etisalat..

I'll be in Dubai in March. And no, those are my conditions now in Homburg (not Hamburg). I already know how bad Etisalat is. I was in Dubai every 2 months (for about 10 days) over the past year, with my last trip ending on Jan 5th and coming back to rainy Germany. I have DSL 6000 here now, just got it upgraded last month. I talked to some people up in Mainz and they don't have the problems with their internet always dropping out like this area does. I lose connection several times a day and sometimes can't reconnect for an hour or more. I moved last year from Kaiserslautern because I could only get 64K ISDN dialup there! 100,000 people and I can't even get DSL flat rate. Sorry, but I'm ready to leave Deutschland for Dubai. I think it's a pretty good upgrade I expect very little from Etisalat after what I deal with here (I would like VoIP though). I think DT and T-Online screw everyone here (in this area) because everywhere I look, I see americans and that may have something to do with why things are so messed up. They want the american military's money, so they limit what is available in the area. Not cool. Really not cool.

On another note, I saw you're from Frankfurt. Even been to Waldgeist? I make a trip up there once a month. I eat and drink away my anger there . http://www.waldgeist-hofheim.de/

Still working for me, anyone had any problems yet?

ineedacoolnick wrote:http://www.boundip.com/


Just came across this. Its a program that's made for countries that block VoIP applications.

Surprisingly the site isn't blocked yet, so you can download the program and subscribe to the service. Then you hope etisalat doesn't block that access too!

In the boundip website, it identified that UAE is blocked.... not sure if it stated there so that they are not liable if people pay the hefty price and end up being blocked.

Taken from Gulf news this AM.

du defends blocking of VoIP calls in free zones
By Robert Ditcham, Staff Reporter



Dubai: From next month internet users in Dubai's free zones will be barred from calling phone lines from their PCs using Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) in an apparent change of heart by the UAE's telecom regulator.

An announcement banning use of VoIP in Dubai Internet City was made to customers by du-owned DIC Telecom, the telecommunications provider for the free zone, in compliance with instructions issued by the UAE Telecom Regulatory Authority (TRA).

Telecom operator du says its decision to cut VoIP use for Dubai's free zones was made in accordance with guidelines set down by the UAE telecom regulator, the TRA.

EITC, which operates under the brand name du, said the block covers all free zones and all calls from PC to fixed or mobile phone using the public internet.

Osman Sultan, CEO of du, said: "Following specific instructions from the TRA, VoIP calls made from the UAE using du broadband internet to fixed or mobile phones are blocked by the licence operators.

"The TRA determines the VoIP policy within the UAE. du, as a licenced operator, is obliged to abide by these rules and guidelines."

"All calls from PC to fixed or mobile phones using the public internet will be blocked. The impact will be mainly on international calls. Other VoIP calls such as those from a PC to another PC worldwide are not blocked. Calls could also be received from overseas internet users. However, this service could vary depending on other countries' VoIP policies."

TRA general director Mohammad Al Ganem, said the development is not new.

"This is a clear policy of the TRA and is country-wide, including all free zones. This has been made clear for some time," he said.

It will still stay cat and mouse.

The BigE and DubeDu will block skype, only for then skype change its code which will bypass any previous blocking. Each will keep the same dance going round and round.

Sad thing is they could use all of the money they pour into blocking VoiP to improve there shoddy network or provide a better deal to its customers.

My company have had me keep my Vodafone UK account. I only have an Etisalat phone for receiving calls and making calls within the UAE.

For making international calls to colleagues all over the world - it is cheaper to use a VF UK SIM roaming then to use Etistlat.

Coops wrote:will that mean pc to pc will still work ok?

The CEO of Du, said today that only PC-phone will be blocked.

He specifically said that PC-PC, and incoming landline calls from a PC will not be blocked.

However, it wouldn't surprise me if he is talking bullsh*t and everything is blocked the same as Etisilat.

benwj wrote:

Coops wrote:will that mean pc to pc will still work ok?

The CEO of Du, said today that only PC-phone will be blocked.

He specifically said that PC-PC, and incoming landline calls from a PC will not be blocked.

However, it wouldn't surprise me if he is talking bullsh*t and everything is blocked the same as Etisilat.

I find it difficult to believe they could even tell the type of call. AFAIK, a PC-PC or a PC-Phone would look exactly the same to the routers on this side of the SIP system - which of course would be Du's network.

Exactly.

And he expects us to be stupid enough to beleive him.

I hope this is all talk and they dont really get down to blocking even pc-pc calls

Such a shame