Categories: VoIP News

Pay Phone Makes Comeback in Saudi Arabia

Lonely Pay Phone (Courtesy: Eric Hauser)

If you’re trying to make a free phone call using Viber or Skype in Saudi Arabia, forget about it.

Dig up some change and use a pay phone.

The telecom regulator in Saudi Arabia has suspended use of the Viber web-based communication service, which normally allows users to make free calls and send free texts and photos.

The Communications and Information Technology Commission (CITC) is the regulatory agency that issued this ban and the one who sent a warning back in March to Viber, Whatsapp, and Skype for breaking “local laws.”

The thought is that “the kingdom appears to be pushing for greater control over cyberspace as Internet and smart phone usage soars.”

Could it just be about money, like a lot of things usually are?

Nandagopal J. Nair at Quartz comments that:

In the neighboring United Arab Emirates, many features of Skype and Viber are already blocked, but WhatsApp isn’t. That might be a hint that, at least in the UAE, business interests are at play: Skype and Viber, unlike WhatsApp, allow users to make voice calls for free, and international calls are where the telecom operators are likely losing most of their revenue.

Via Reuters and Quartz

Nathan Miloszewski

Nate is VoIP Supply's former Content Marketing Manager.

View Comments

Share
Published by
Nathan Miloszewski

Recent Posts

Combined Strength: UC Solutions for Easy Selling | Webinar May 2025

https://youtu.be/hDzakM8YGGI Knowing about UC Solutions and how to sell them can lead to added success…

2 weeks ago

Did You Know: Emergency Communication with VoIP Is Revolutionizing Public Safety?

Did you know the first 9-1-1 call dates back to 1968 in Alabama? AT&T introduced…

2 weeks ago

Watch Now: 2025 May VoIP News Update

https://youtu.be/ibAll_fVU4g?si=9O6QVec9cL6YjtDE Your May VoIP News Update is here! In this month's episode, we cover a…

2 weeks ago

Fanvil V62W Wi-Fi IP Phone Product Feature Video and How to Register with Sangoma PBXact

https://youtu.be/KrdtAr7TDHI?si=Te6zARkJkDZKoW9R If you haven't seen the Fanvil V62W Wi-Fi IP Phone, you may want to…

3 weeks ago

Did You Know: You Can Custom Design Your Ideal Meeting Space With New Tools?

You want to optimize your meeting space or conference room to ensure every remote or…

1 month ago

How to Create and Submit an RMA 2025

https://youtu.be/58HX8VIljrY?si=v4-BBtOhIiDujgch In the fast-paced world of Telecommunications, things can happen, and sometimes those things require…

1 month ago