Etisalat, Skype, UAE telecom issues
Join Date: Sep 2006
Location: Abu Dhabi
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Skype fixed
Talked with the Skype chaps and it seems when you download the lates update it switches the status to "offline". Check the bottom left corner of the sign-in page and make sure it says "online".
Cheers!
Cheers!
Join Date: Sep 2006
Location: Dubai
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Bad news guy. Look what was written in Gulfnews today:
Dubai: The Telecommunications Regulatory Authority (TRA) said yesterday it would allow internet telephony, or Voice over Internet Protocol technology, but only for local calls within the UAE.
Long-distance calls using VoIP will continue to be prohibited for the time being to protect the revenue telecom operators receive from international calls.
"The policy by the TRA is to allow only etisalat and du to provide VoIP service in the local market," said Sultan Bin Saeed Al Mansouri, Minister of Government Sector Development.
VoIP has proliferated in recent years with free-to-consumer VoIP providers like Skype and Net2Phone.
These popular VoIP services are actively blocked in the UAE, where an overwhelming majority of residents are expatriates from Asia and the West who make frequent calls back home. The TRA has not indicated if it will ever allow consumers to use Skype or Net2Phone legally.
As for allowing long distance calling with VoIP, Al Mansouri said the government was reviewing its telecommunications policies and would eventually permit international VoIP calls.
The news comes as a half-reversal of its announcement in October, when it said it would allow VoIP from the two licensed operators, etisalat and du.
"We are taking it step by step," he said. "At some point VoIP will be liberalised. As for when, I cannot give you a date. We do not want the quality of service to be lacking or the revenues of the operators to be hurt."
The TRA believes 60 per cent of the telecom revenues in the UAE come from international calls, and that allowing VoIP calls could severely hamper the financial performance of operators.
Dubai: The Telecommunications Regulatory Authority (TRA) said yesterday it would allow internet telephony, or Voice over Internet Protocol technology, but only for local calls within the UAE.
Long-distance calls using VoIP will continue to be prohibited for the time being to protect the revenue telecom operators receive from international calls.
"The policy by the TRA is to allow only etisalat and du to provide VoIP service in the local market," said Sultan Bin Saeed Al Mansouri, Minister of Government Sector Development.
VoIP has proliferated in recent years with free-to-consumer VoIP providers like Skype and Net2Phone.
These popular VoIP services are actively blocked in the UAE, where an overwhelming majority of residents are expatriates from Asia and the West who make frequent calls back home. The TRA has not indicated if it will ever allow consumers to use Skype or Net2Phone legally.
As for allowing long distance calling with VoIP, Al Mansouri said the government was reviewing its telecommunications policies and would eventually permit international VoIP calls.
The news comes as a half-reversal of its announcement in October, when it said it would allow VoIP from the two licensed operators, etisalat and du.
"We are taking it step by step," he said. "At some point VoIP will be liberalised. As for when, I cannot give you a date. We do not want the quality of service to be lacking or the revenues of the operators to be hurt."
The TRA believes 60 per cent of the telecom revenues in the UAE come from international calls, and that allowing VoIP calls could severely hamper the financial performance of operators.
Join Date: Sep 2006
Location: Dubai
Age: 55
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Surprised???
Don't know about the rest of you guys, but this reaction from TRA does not surprise me at all. We all know what the real reason behind the VoIP ban is and that the TRA is under absolutely no pressure to allow it. There is little expats can do about it because after all - according to the TRA, VoIP has always been illegal and now they're just enforcing an old existing law!
In case you have found yourselves a functionning workaround, you can be sure you will need it for quite some time still, probably until you decide to pack your stuff and leave this place!
In case you have found yourselves a functionning workaround, you can be sure you will need it for quite some time still, probably until you decide to pack your stuff and leave this place!
Bad news guy. Look what was written in Gulfnews today:
Dubai: The Telecommunications Regulatory Authority (TRA) said yesterday it would allow internet telephony, or Voice over Internet Protocol technology, but only for local calls within the UAE.
Long-distance calls using VoIP will continue to be prohibited for the time being to protect the revenue telecom operators receive from international calls.
"The policy by the TRA is to allow only etisalat and du to provide VoIP service in the local market," said Sultan Bin Saeed Al Mansouri, Minister of Government Sector Development.
VoIP has proliferated in recent years with free-to-consumer VoIP providers like Skype and Net2Phone.
These popular VoIP services are actively blocked in the UAE, where an overwhelming majority of residents are expatriates from Asia and the West who make frequent calls back home. The TRA has not indicated if it will ever allow consumers to use Skype or Net2Phone legally.
As for allowing long distance calling with VoIP, Al Mansouri said the government was reviewing its telecommunications policies and would eventually permit international VoIP calls.
The news comes as a half-reversal of its announcement in October, when it said it would allow VoIP from the two licensed operators, etisalat and du.
"We are taking it step by step," he said. "At some point VoIP will be liberalised. As for when, I cannot give you a date. We do not want the quality of service to be lacking or the revenues of the operators to be hurt."
The TRA believes 60 per cent of the telecom revenues in the UAE come from international calls, and that allowing VoIP calls could severely hamper the financial performance of operators.
Dubai: The Telecommunications Regulatory Authority (TRA) said yesterday it would allow internet telephony, or Voice over Internet Protocol technology, but only for local calls within the UAE.
Long-distance calls using VoIP will continue to be prohibited for the time being to protect the revenue telecom operators receive from international calls.
"The policy by the TRA is to allow only etisalat and du to provide VoIP service in the local market," said Sultan Bin Saeed Al Mansouri, Minister of Government Sector Development.
VoIP has proliferated in recent years with free-to-consumer VoIP providers like Skype and Net2Phone.
These popular VoIP services are actively blocked in the UAE, where an overwhelming majority of residents are expatriates from Asia and the West who make frequent calls back home. The TRA has not indicated if it will ever allow consumers to use Skype or Net2Phone legally.
As for allowing long distance calling with VoIP, Al Mansouri said the government was reviewing its telecommunications policies and would eventually permit international VoIP calls.
The news comes as a half-reversal of its announcement in October, when it said it would allow VoIP from the two licensed operators, etisalat and du.
"We are taking it step by step," he said. "At some point VoIP will be liberalised. As for when, I cannot give you a date. We do not want the quality of service to be lacking or the revenues of the operators to be hurt."
The TRA believes 60 per cent of the telecom revenues in the UAE come from international calls, and that allowing VoIP calls could severely hamper the financial performance of operators.
Join Date: Aug 2006
Location: EGCC
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Etisalat mobile roaming - does it exist?
Whenever I land in a foreign country, there's a welcome message from Etisalat WASEL by SMS waiting for me, inviting me to use their International Roaming Service.
"Dial *111*NUMBER# and press send".
Well, I've tried this in over 12 countries so far and in each and every case my attempts have been met with a message by the respective local network informing me that the facility does not exist.
Anyone else with similar frustrations?
"Dial *111*NUMBER# and press send".
Well, I've tried this in over 12 countries so far and in each and every case my attempts have been met with a message by the respective local network informing me that the facility does not exist.
Anyone else with similar frustrations?
Join Date: Jun 2001
Location: Surrounded by aluminum, and the great outdoors
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I found wasel to be a giant pain in the hiney, and just forked over the deposit for a "normal" post paid roaming line...solved the problem..
Join Date: Jul 2003
Location: Afghanistan
Age: 64
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I got to Kabul and lo and behold the bl##dy thing worked, that was Wasel service, but I never used the 111 service just dialled straight numbers with international code,
Join Date: Feb 2000
Location: Sand-Land
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Etisalat upto its old tricks?
Is it just me or has anybody else noticed that it is no longer possible to sign in to MSN Messenger? Tried on both desktop, laptop and PDA but nada. What gives Etisalat? 
I have the latest version of Windows Live Messenger and Internet Explore 7.0 and I was unable to sign-in from about 2 days ago.
I have the latest version of Windows Live Messenger and Internet Explore 7.0 and I was unable to sign-in from about 2 days ago.
Join Date: Aug 1999
Location: Ex UAE
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Yes same here, must get a letter to Microsoft as they will not be pleased. the question is, is it permanent or just for Christmas to make more for these money grabbing 
. Merry Christmas to all from Etislut. 
. Merry Christmas to all from Etislut.
SNAFU
Join Date: Oct 2006
Location: Back in the real world
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international bandwidth
If they had decent connections would not happen of course
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Broadband in UAE
Hi there all
I may have a possible position in Emirates early in the new year, but before this happens I am hoping you can help me with an internet query.
If one takes up the Emirates provided housing option can one still connect to broadband? I thought I saw this was impossible unless you owned but would appreciate the correct information from a few of you already there and on broadband!
secondly, does skype work over there on broadband or have they blocked that too?
third question I have, are the new villas at silicon oasis, already wired internally for an internal network or is it just like where I live where we just have the cables external?
await your feedback people, thanks
cheers
I may have a possible position in Emirates early in the new year, but before this happens I am hoping you can help me with an internet query.
If one takes up the Emirates provided housing option can one still connect to broadband? I thought I saw this was impossible unless you owned but would appreciate the correct information from a few of you already there and on broadband!
secondly, does skype work over there on broadband or have they blocked that too?
third question I have, are the new villas at silicon oasis, already wired internally for an internal network or is it just like where I live where we just have the cables external?
await your feedback people, thanks
cheers