Loss of VoIP in Qatar

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

bmardini wrote:

Hi Guys,

Just a reminder, please do not forget to encourage, your friends and Families to continue on signing the American Citizens in Qatar Demand Internet Phone Service Restored petition.

Dear bmardini,

More is coming from our Indian friends, this remind me that other expats should start similar effrots and let's see who can deliver most pressure.

Quote:

Dear, We have created an identical petition that will be submitted to the Indian Ambassador in Qatar. Please sign in at the below link to achieve our common purpose of making Q-Tel realise its worst blunder.http://www.thepetitionsite.com/takeaction/424933338 Regards Indians in Doha Qatar

Posts: 8 · New Forum Member Joined: Dec 10, 2005 Posts: 8

ajnabi wrote:

Yep, we are finally getting a return on our taxes..... oops we aren't paying taxes. And I might add....what rights?

If I may, I would like to explain what I meant by "Rights":
Your right is to get the services that you paid for that is not tapped. You right is to be informed and have the option to accept or reject before they cut or modify one of the services.
And one of your rights is to have the option to choose from more than one internet providers.. At least this is how I see that I have some rights. I still see hope in the Qatari authority to look at this from a business point of view. The way I see the government plans leads me to think that they are looking for business and more open and freedom way not the short sided way. Thanks for your comment.
Oash

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

stratis63 wrote:

Guys
Be serious.
Qatar has the 4GDP in the world . do you think they care if 50 or 100 people cancel their adsl?.

That is actually on our side, if money is not an issue to QTell, then why they should care if we use VoIP instead of their lines to call ?

Posts: 2135 · Posted: Sat Dec 17, 2005 5:39 am Post subject:

Gentlemen:

Unfortunately I find it necessary to remind you that I do not allow postings of links to other VoIP companies on this site. Please respect that.

Also, "calls to action" are also forbidden, which includes petition signing drives. As honorable as this petition may be, please respect the rules of this site. They are made for your own good.

Thank You,

Posts: 103 · Posted: Sat Dec 17, 2005 8:19 am Post subject: CURIOUSITY

I am just curious about something. How does it benefit the Qatar government to restrict VOIP access? I had always thought they they were among the most liberal of Gulf states, and that unless the government is offering a competitive VOIP service, how do they benefit from blocking VOIP?

Posts: 19 · Vonage Forum Associate Joined: Dec 09, 2005 Posts: 19

They benefit by the fact that people then have to call long distance and pay their 4 times inflated rate.
Qtel, is supposed to be a profit center though. Hence the higher the profit the better. However they *ARE* required to follow islamic law. A previous post or two mentioned the possibility of action in a Sharia court, I'd heartily recommend it.

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

cargojack wrote:

I am just curious about something. How does it benefit the Qatar government to restrict VOIP access? I had always thought they they were among the most liberal of Gulf states, and that unless the government is offering a competitive VOIP service, how do they benefit from blocking VOIP?

It's really not the Government of Qatar that benefits per se. It's QTel and the people running QTel that benefit the most. They see VoIP systems as cutting into their (expensive) International Long Distance revenues. And, since they're the only game in town and have a captive audience, (70-80% of Qatari residents are expat workers, with 14% being from Western countries)

Basically they do it because they can. QTel is the sole phone company *AND* sole ISP. The ironic thing, as I mentioned before, is that this action actually *hurts* QTel. Because those expats wanting to talk to their families buy ADSL services. The huge number of Internet Cafes here buy business ADSL servicess in part because of their customers demand to use VoIP systems to call their families. The demand for VoIP creates a demand for broadband. QTel doesn't see that though, they see it as lost revenue.

QTel has a long reputation for treating its customers like garbage. They only do 150 landline connections a day in the entire country, same with ADSL. Waiting times of months to get landline and dialup access - much less ADSL - is NOT uncommon. They're a monopoly, we're a captive audience, and QTel has no problems with ramming it to us as hard as they can Because where else can we go??

The protests with the various ambassadors is a start, but it's going to take the VoIP companies (Vonage included) to actively create workarounds and patches to make all attempts at VoIP blocking completely and totally useless.

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

PatGund wrote:

The protests with the various ambassadors is a start, but it's going to take the VoIP companies (Vonage included) to actively create workarounds and patches to make all attempts at VoIP blocking completely and totally useless.

You are right, I do not know why cannot Vonage open a VPN connection to their servers. Once a VPN connection info is done on the ADSL router, then there is no problem.

My ADSL router is Linksys WAG54G V.2, it is capable of connecting to a VPN gateway without any software or the need for a running PC. This feature is almost a standard feature on the new ADSL routers.

Currently, all the VPN talk on this forum, is about opening a connection between a user and his office place, but that is not what we Vonage users need.

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

Setting up a VPN from your Router and to a distant end router is not the only way to set up a VPN. Do a google search and you will find alot of sites that explain in a little more detail. Unless you run your own private VPN you will need your PC to connect your Vonage to thru the VPN....

Posts: 103 · Posted: Sat Dec 17, 2005 1:02 pm Post subject: qatar, ADSL, and money

Actually, having a more open technological infrastructure is better for business and would benefit any country. In period where fast communication is a man on a mule, decentralized principalities with local independant rulers is the natural form of government. One reason why the large empires of Alexander the Great, and Ghengis Khan and the Mongols fell was because the geography of their empires expanded beyoung the capacity for their communication networks. Imagine if Ghengis and his good fellows and Alexander had internet? Their empires would have last ed a bit longer. Perhaps there is something in the idea of control information that is fearful to those countries which restrict VOIP. Culture drives technological innovation and technology modifies culture. The American approach to something like that which has been described in previous messages is to protest and sign petitions. I wonder what the indiginous approach would be? How does a patriarchal, tribal social structure (and before any of you complain about the content of this, I hope some IT geek assists me by showing how social networks are merely informational networks analagous to digital networks) which is a star network on a smaller local scale but is ultimately hierarchical respond to a need for social change? We, Americans, feel VOIP feel should be available because rights should not be restricted and complete access to all services is a right, dammit! Do you know when VOIP access will be unfettered? When enough Qataris need to call family members in other countries. Arabs, if nothing else, revere family connections and social networks. Actually, we Americans would sign a petition saying information and information access should be free. The host culture might respond better if the petition declared that easy and cheap means to stay in touch with families were provided.

Good Luck my Tekno-Geek Brothers and Sisters! Like it or not, technology will change all cultures.