Comments on: Jail or VoIP?

By: abhi

abhi — Sat, 13 Oct 2007 08:43:34 +0000

Is VOIP Legal or not in Ethiopia…?

By: globaltechforum

globaltechforum — Fri, 09 Mar 2007 11:42:18 +0000

Thank you for this comment. It underlines the point that VoIP isn’t just for lowering the cost of business. It also has a social benefit - ie keeping families of migrant workers in touch.

By: Juan Carlos Solines Moreno

Juan Carlos Solines Moreno — Wed, 07 Mar 2007 20:00:57 +0000

I just finished my term as President of the Telecom Regulator (CONATEL) in Ecuador. I believe that one of the major accomplishments of my administration was to recognize VoIP as an application on Internet and, therefore, people now can freely use it as any other technology. As in Africa, VoIP in Ecuador was restricted and only licensed telecom operators were allowed to provide it, since VoIP was considered as a telecom service. The real purpose behind this market barrier was to protect state-owned telecom operators that charge very high rates for long distance calls. As one of the first countries in Latin America to approach VoIP in this new way, we noticed that long distance rates are plummeting in benefit of thousands of poor families with relatives working abroad. I hope that the new government will keep the same policy despite incumbent operators’ pressure.

By: globaltechforum

globaltechforum — Wed, 07 Mar 2007 16:04:11 +0000

True, it took Europe years to open up their markets. But that’s because governments were protecting the huge investment that the incumbents had to make in networks they were obliged to expand and maintain. Today, anyone with a PC and a broadband connection can make a phone call - and to anywhere in the world.
If the costs of becoming a telecom service provider have fallen to within the range of a small start-up, why should people in remote villages in Africa have to wait for this service?

By: David Raikes

David Raikes — Wed, 07 Mar 2007 15:39:14 +0000

Cheaper and easier telecoms would certainly make a useful contribution to African economic development. Mind you, we should avoid being too hypocritical about the desire of African governments to protect the monopolies of their national companies: getting European governments to open up their own telecoms markets was a slow and tortuous process

By: Guy Dunn

Guy Dunn — Wed, 07 Mar 2007 12:54:45 +0000

Grey markets like these are, in effect, dampeners on growth. The demand for cheaper communication costs in Africa shouldn’t be ignored by the powers-that-be.