Loss of VoIP in Qatar

Posts: 4 · New Forum Member Joined: Dec 11, 2005 Posts: 4

Hey All....I am working on a solution as we speak....Keep checking backing onto uncensor.net over the next few weeks. I will be in Saudi Arabia running some tests on this solution...

Stay tuned...

Rami

Posts: 22 · Vonage Forum Associate Joined: Dec 11, 2005 Posts: 22

This seems to be an all out war waged by QTel on all VoIP service in Qatar. My chauffeur (from Sri Lanka) tells me today that he cannot go to the internet cafe place to call his family as he used to, because the "Police", repeat "Police" will put the cafe guy in jail !!!

Regretabley, this is not a good thing for the image the people of this country would like to project about themsleves to the world.

I doubt there would be any technical workaround for this, as QTel is follwoing the steps of other telecom monopolies, and they have mastered the trick.

From the history of QTel, they did block other chat programs such as Paltalk, and partially Skype.

Posts: 4 · New Forum Member Joined: Dec 09, 2005 Posts: 4

If the VPN work around does not work out, then maybe looking into a Satellite internet provider based in Europe may be the solution for some of us.

Funny you have not seen anything in the Newspapers or on the Qtel site. Guess I need to send a few messages out.

Posts: 2135 · Posted: Sun Dec 11, 2005 5:47 pm Post subject:

Kardelen wrote:

Funny you have not seen anything in the Newspapers or on the Qtel site. Guess I need to send a few messages out.

What we have seen here in the past regarding similar issues such as the vonage-forum.com/ftopic4184.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank" class="postlink">TelMex Blocking VoIP in Mexico problem is some of the more high profile VoIP Bloggers pick-up on the story via our vonage-forum.com/syndication.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank" class="postlink">RSS Feeds and write about it, which tends to lead to the international press picking up on it.

In fact, Ted Wallingford has already posted "Vonage customers stymied in Qatar" in his well respected blog, The VoIP Weblog.

Posts: 1 · New Forum Member Joined: Dec 11, 2005 Posts: 1

What else to expect From Qtel?
A letter to the US Embassy is not a bad idea!

Posts: 4 · New Forum Member Joined: Dec 12, 2005 Posts: 4

I think that the letters to the embassy are a good idea. Maybe we should also consider running a few ads in the Gulf and Peninsula. This will help reach those folks those don’t use message boards or have been unable to find information on this. I know about 20-30 Folks that would be willing to help in funding such an ad.

Posts: 39 · Posted: Mon Dec 12, 2005 2:13 am Post subject: Loss of VOIP in Qatar

I have emailed the American Embassy in Qatar addressed to the Ambassador Mr. Untermeyer. I also emailed all my friends and family in the United States and Canada asking for their help. Please find below a copy of the email I send to my family and friends in the US. More over, if you want a copy of the email I send to the ambassador please email me at this address (fightqtel@gmail.com) and I will forward them to you.

Thanks,

------------------------------------------------------

Dear Friend and colleagues,

As you all have or will hear that Qtel, (Qatar phone and Internet provider) have blocked all VOIP protocol. I will no longer be able to contact any of my family and friends in America and Canada. Please show me your support by emailing the American Ambassador in Qatar to speak to the Qatari Government on all American Behalf and request that Qtel stop this Censorship and to encourage the Qatari government to join the free world in a fair market practice.

I have attached below a sample letter that I wrote to the American Ambassador in Qatar and his name and contact information. Please modify the letter as you see fit and email it to both email addresses below.

Many Americans in Qatar and I will thank you for your support.

The US Ambassador in Qatar is “Mr. Chase Untermeyer” and the Embassy Mailing and email addresses are:

Embassy of the United States of America
22nd February Street
Al Luqta district

P.O. Box 2399
Doha, Qatar

Telephone: (974) 488-4101
Fax: (974) 488-4298
Email: PASDoha@state.gov and ACSConsularDoha@state.gov

Posts: 4 · New Forum Member Joined: Dec 12, 2005 Posts: 4

understandably this is not the best or preferred method to stay in touch (Vonage was the way to go) i have had success with yahoo voice. I am not sure how long it will work but it is one method until we can get the vonage worked out.

Posts: 10 · Vonage Forum Associate Joined: Dec 12, 2005 Posts: 10

The weird part is I tried SoftPhone on a Q-Tel (feh) dialup connection, and was able to connect. The quality was unusable, but it did connect.

We're also getting reports at work, (I work IT for one of the schools in Education City), that audio and video chat services are affected as well, (we had to do a VPN connection to get the video and audio portions of iChat and AIM to work properly), and there are other reports that some of the on-line games are being affected by the blocking (or bandwidth cap).

I rely on these services to talk to my four year old daughter back in the states. Bottom line, if I can't do that, there is not only no reason for me to keep ADSL, there is NO reason for me to continue to work in Qatar.

Posts: 2135 · Posted: Mon Dec 12, 2005 3:31 am Post subject:

Please note that I have highlighted your issue in todays issue of the vonage-forum.com/article2387.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank" class="postlink">Vonage VoIP Forum Digest and, as I have done in the past, I will do all I can do to help.

Best of luck to you, hopefully this will be resolved soon.