The Telecommunications and Digital Government Regulatory Authority (TDRA) of the UAE has established several regulations governing the use of voice communication applications via Internet Protocol in the country, which is a crucial aspect for many residents and visitors. The authority stated that internet calling services provided by third parties fall within the scope of this policy, and voice calls offered by "Skype" are considered regulated activities that must be provided by licensed entities.
The authority emphasized that using such a program for making calls is considered illegal (for example: Skype-out/Skype-in) unless this third party (e.g., "Skype") is licensed by the authority to provide such services, or if the licensed entity provides the service in collaboration with this third party. According to the authority, anyone using unlicensed voice communication services via Internet Protocol (even if not offered to others for a fee) could be committing a criminal act in several instances. These instances include if the individual is using "another service" provided by the licensed entity (such as fixed-rate internet access) to make international voice communication calls over Internet Protocol. They also include cases where the licensed provider of that service did not intend for it to be used for transmitting voice communication over Internet Protocol (thus did not price it accordingly).
If one purchases a program that allows for internet calls, and it operates in the UAE, does this mean it is legal to use such programs within the country? The authority answers: "Unless this program is provided by a licensed entity, using this program for making internet calls is illegal, and it is advisable to contact the service provider to ensure whether this program is legal." The authority further stated: "If the service is not provided by licensed entities, the authority urges not to use such a program, as you may be held legally responsible for this act, and licensed entities have the right (and will likely do so) to block such illegal communications."
Furthermore, the authority pointed out that since providing "callback services" is considered a regulated activity, these services must be provided by a licensed entity; therefore, using such services is illegal unless the provider is licensed by the authority to offer such services or if the licensed entity provides the service in collaboration with that provider.
#### Website Blocking
The authority indicated that they do not block websites, but licensed entities are required to restrict access to certain unacceptable content, including unlicensed and thus illegal voice communication services. The authority said: "If you believe that a legitimate site has been blocked, you can directly address the matter with the relevant licensed entity."
In case a voice connection is needed between a company in the UAE and another via the internet, the authority noted that voice communication services must be obtained from the licensed entity to accomplish this. According to the definition of a closed user group in version 2.0 of the authority's regulatory policy for voice communication over the internet, a closed user group network should not be linked to another closed user group network and must serve entities (companies) that have shared ownership. Accordingly, if the other company does not share ownership with your company, the only way to achieve the desired voice communication is to obtain services from the licensed entity.
#### Available Applications
The authority stated: "In the context of emergency measures taken in response to the circumstances arising from the COVID-19 virus, and as part of the efforts of the Telecommunications Regulatory Authority to support distance learning and remote work, coordination has been made with the telecommunications operators in the country (Etisalat and Du) to provide a range of applications, exceptionally across all networks in the country until further notice."
These applications include remote work and learning applications:
- Microsoft Teams
- Skype for Business
- Zoom
- Blackboard
- Google Hangouts Meet
- Cisco Webex
- Avaya Spaces
- BlueJeans
- Slack
Remote health applications include:
- Mind Mina Telemedicine
- NextGenGP Telehealth
- vSee
- OKADOCDOXY
- GetBEE
