FaceTime/Skype/Messenger blocked
 

I’m well aware some in EK management read Pprune (listen up!!) but this is more for those considering coming to the UAE to work for EK/FZ/unnamed...

The last few months the UAE really cracked down on FaceTime/Skype etc and made it unusable (and illegal). Their justification is security but it’s pretty clearly a way for Du/Etisalat to make money out of international calls. Just about no other country on Earth has the same excuse for blocking these services.... except maybe China.

Yes we’ve tried various ways of getting around it but those ‘applications’ seem to work for some and not others. Even went so far as to use the legitimate C’Me/Botim apps and the 50dhs/month charge to ‘activate internet calling’. Those apps are pretty much useless.

So to those of you you thinking of coming here consider the frustration and anger this ban will cause for you and your family just to maintain contact back home, or even to speak to your other half while away on a layover!!!

EVERY SINGLE PERSON I have spoken to about this subject expresses their FRUSTRATION AND PURE ANGER at how ridiculous this ban is. If you want an example of the many small things the UAE/EK/Dubai do that just p*** everyone off for no real benefit, this is probably the best.

Rant over..

Do you not know anyone that can show you how they got BBC iPlayer etc working? Same deal, no biggie.

No alcohol, no meat, no Skype, no vpn. What's next?

When one looks back at 19th century England or imagines life in Ancient Roman times,complete with slaves it is easy to assume that these things are historical relics and humanity 'progressed'
After all children down coal mines ceased and unions reclaimed a lot for the worker.

A glance at the UAE or China and it is easy to miss. If all one sees of Nike is the shoes on the shelf, the sweat shops in third world countries are a long way away from the consciousness. Spend any time in any of these places and what one is looking at is the modern Orwellian and slave state.

Sadly all economies are leveraging technology against their own citizens

Still works a treat with a good VPN!!! Get one, no problems.

SyB

Sheikh, not all VPNs are blocked yet but it depends which network. Mine is blocked on du. I believe many of them are now.

Etisalat etc. are now blocking VPNs and Wikipedia
 

It is massively frustrating and a big downside to living here. I taught my elderly parents how to use Skype which was a reassurance to all of us when I moved out years ago. I'm not going to now retrain them on some stupid local service that is barely available in the UK to even download. I have found a loophole however - the EK VPN they use for us to get on the network wherever we are actually works with facilitating Skype - you just need to use the web based version to log in and it goes through pretty well.

After doing some research on the net it seems the same VPN providers keep appearing as the “better” provider, sure you need to pay for the “better” providers, however having 24/7 tech support and a stable provider makes a big difference. I’ve been using the same VPN for 2 years now with no issues, works well.....

Or you can visit the DU center on the ground floor at HQ, and get a mobile package tailored for your needs. I have a monthly package that allows me to call internationally for 3hrs a month at 300dhs a month......personally that’s enough talk time with the parents and siblings overseas.....

Monarch Man, I sent you a PM

Vpn slow down
 

Was having trouble with a well known paid vpn service that I've used even in China for over 10 years. It was working, but really slow.

Talked to them and they gave me a new way to connect.

They said that the two UAE providers were not blocking vpns, because that is illegal. What they were doing is slowing them down to unusable speeds so people stopped using them.

The new connection details he sorted me with have me back to full speed "browsing" :D