According to Gulf News, Microsoft is in talks with TRA about the Skype license that will allow the VoIP service to be legal and easily usable in the UAE. The newspaper also mentions another Arabic newspaper that indicates that TRA is also in talks with Apple.
VoIP services have been illegally banned in the UAE and only recently has the TRA started issuing licenses to work in the country. At the moment, only two services that are BOTIM and C & # 39; ME are legally permitted.
A consumer also needs to subscribe to an "Internet calling plan" to access these free VoIP services, which cost AED 50 per month for mobile devices. phones or AED 100 per month for landlines.
Is it because of the Data Centers based in the UAE of Microsoft?
Going back to Microsoft and Skype, the company plans to open its first data centers in the Middle East in Dubai and Abu Dhabi sometime in 2019. If the decision to allow Skype in the UAE concerns that or not, it still has not You know, but a Microsoft spokesman said the following to Gulf News.
"We have been working closely with local authorities to gain a better understanding of local requirements in an effort to unlock Skype. We are passionate about the benefits Skype offers our users around the world by facilitating communication and enabling the colaboration ".
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