Imprisonment and Dh1 million fine for using Skype in United Arab Emirates

7 years ago | Posted in: Laws | 2115 Views

Downloading Skype does not give users right to utilise services without necessary licences: TRA official

Some of the services that Skype offers, like Making telephone calls, need a license from the UAE Telecommunication Regulatory Authority (TRA), according to Majid Al Masmar, Acting Director General of the TRA.

According to a report in Arabic daily Emarat Al Youm, the authority confirmed that failure to obtain a license, will subjected a user to the amended Article 71 of the Telecommunications Act.

This includes imprisonment for a period not exceeding two years and a fine of not less than Dh50,000 and not more than Dh1million.

On the other hand Al Masmar confirmed that the Skype provides services require license from the TRA among these services the telephone calls.

He stressed that in case of failure to get such license it will be subjected to the communication law No. (3) of 2003 and penalties will be applied.

Al Masmar clarified that downloading Skype onto one’s computer does not give subscribers the right to utilise services offered without necessary licences.

The report quotes Al Masmar as pointing out that the attempts to lift bans on unauthorised Skype services have increased recently.

However, both, etisalat and du have not applied for any official requests to the TRA to allow Skype services in the UAE.

“There is a big difference for subscribers when they get online Skype services formally through the two licensed operators and when they illegally download it via the site, as is currently done by a large number of the people,” he said.

He explained that in the event etisalat and du offered these services, it will mean allowing the use of Skype to make both voice and video calls from smartphone to smartphone, but with the approval of the TRA.

Source : Emirates247

Tags: Skpe, TRA

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