Ban on FaceTime may soon be lifted in United Arab Emirates

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Facetime
FaceTime has been banned in the UAE for years.
Photo: Mathieu Thouvenin/Flickr CC

Apple may have been voted consumers’ favorite brand in the United Arab Emirates, but one of the iPhone’s most popular features — FaceTime — still isn’t allowed in the country.

That could soon change, however, because Apple is in talks with the UAE federal government to lift the ban on Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) services as far as it affects FaceTime.

UAE Telecommunications Regulatory Authority (TRA) Director General Hamad Obaid Al Mansouri has confirmed the talks. They are linked with Apple’s investment plans in the UAE. Apple is expanding its focus on Apple Stores in the region.

Microsoft is also pushing to have the ban lifted on Skype. Microsoft has invested heavily in UAE data centers.

A ban on VoIP services

In the UAE, the ban on VoIP services is part of what is essentially a telecoms monopoly in the country. Locals have to pay often high prices to make calls, and a free service like FaceTime or Skype would obviously prove detrimental to this. The UAE is also known to monitor citizens’ communications, which is much more difficult if using an encrypted service like FaceTime or Skype.

FaceTime is not included on any iPhones sold in the UAE, although it can sporadically work on devices brought into the country. Having been in the UAE earlier this year, in my own personal experience it did not work on either my iPhone or iPad Pro.

UAE neighbor Saudi Arabia lifted the VoIP ban last September. Recently, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman visited Apple’s new HQ as part of his tour across the western U.S. He is aiming to change the country’s perspective on Saudi Arabia.

It seems that the United Arab Emirates is keen to follow suit!

Source: CNBC

 

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