In the light of the horrid situation, Oman has lifted the ban on some of the internet calling tools including Skype for business. This permits Oman residents to access Skype for Business, Google Hangout and Zoom. However, VOIP services like WhatsApp is still banned. The sudden move was made in order to help organizations handle the ‘tough situation’.
Oman’s telecommunication tweeted the good news- “The government’s interest in facilitating business continuity and communication for government, private and educational sector institutions and due to the exceptional circumstances resulting from the spread of Corona virus (Covid 19), it has been decided to allow the use of some internet communication applications”
اهتماما من الحكومة بتسهيل استمرارية الأعمال والتواصل لمؤسسات القطاع الحكومي والخاص والقطاع التعليمي ونظرا للظروف الاستثنائية الناتجة عن انتشار فيروس كورونا (كوفيد ١٩) ، فقد تقرر السماح باستخدام بعض تطبيقات التواصل عبر بروتوكول الانترنت @oman_mtc #عمان_تواجه_كورونا
— TRA OMAN (@TRA_OMAN) March 17, 2020
Well done, Oman!
What Else?
Meanwhile, Sharjah Royal Sultan Sooud Al Qassemi also suggested to lift the internet calling ban in UAE. With the sudden outbreak of Coronavirus in the UAE, schools and colleges have considered remote learning in order to continue education, despite the sudden break. Lifting the ban on Skype and voice over internet (VoIP) services would make this process easier, Sultan Sooud Al Qassemi mentioned.
I highly recommend that the UAE now re-visits its ban on VOIP video calls in light of the spread of Coronavirus. If we want people not to meet in person let them conduct their business online. The benefit to the entire economy outweighs the benefit to a single firm (etisalat)
— سلطان سعود القاسمي (@SultanAlQassemi) March 4, 2020
“I highly recommend that the UAE now re-visits its ban on VoIP video calls in light of the spread of coronavirus,” he wrote on Twitter, where he has almost 500,000 followers.
“If we want people not to meet in person let them conduct their business online. The benefit to the entire economy outweighs the benefit to a single firm (Etisalat).
“No remote working, no distance learning, no telemedicine without VoIP. It’s actually a matter of how soon we will lift – rather than if we will lift – the VoIP restrictions in the UAE. The sooner we do so the sooner we can minimise the effects on the economy,” he said.
Was thinking the same just yesterday. No way people can working remotely with this restriction in place. Schools aren’t even prepared for real-time teaching.
— Kelli Law (@KelliJLaw) March 4, 2020