VoIP - Why to hope for it !!

When countries install more efficient technologies there aim is to save resources and provide peopel easy access to more efficient services, ofcourse at cheaper prices. But a closer look at Dubai and specially Etisalats tells me that it makes no sense if they stick to the same policy. Because most of the population here is expat. Now the bulk of these being from Pakistan, India and Bangladesh we see that a call to these countries is nearly twice as expensive as a call to UK or even USA. So why should TRA, Du or Etisalat support VoIP, its a business decision. So already the call tariff are not proportional to the cost incurred but to the population base of the country. Sam did a comparison of what Etisalat lost when Skype was in operation. Ofcourse these numbers would be more when the difference is taken over tariffs of the Asian countries and multiplied with the Asian population base.

Ofcourse they haven't overcome there ego to acquire any stand alone company to expand there services within UAE. So they just block the service and launch there own. And yes by the way Etisalat is launching VoIP as reported by Maktoob, "Etisalat, which has curbed the use of Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) services, is likely to reverse its stand as the telecom sector liberalizes, the Gulf News reported. This will drastically reduce communication costs, as most middle-class consumers in the UAE suffer from high telephone bills. The company has commissioned a study on VoIP, an Etisalat official, who requested anonymity, told Gulf News yesterday." So hope not that cheaper communication days would dawn on us in UAE.