Minister outlaws VoIP
Minister outlaws VoIPBy Kabanda Chulu
Tuesday April 03, 2007 [10:12]
Communications minister Peter Daka has directed the Communications Authority (CA) to investigate and arrest people allegedly providing commercial Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) services. VoIP is a technology that allows people to make voice calls using a broadband internet connection instead of a regular analog phone line.
Currently, there is no legislative framework to guide provision of commercial VoIP services hence the offering of services is considered to be illegal because it is understood that it may threaten the earnings of traditional telecommunications providers.
Surprisingly, the national ICT policy document that was officially launched last week has not mentioned anything related to provisions of cost-saving but effective technologies such as VoIP.
The ICT policy intends to act as a roadmap to guide the nation in the spirit of achieving an information and knowledge-driven society, thereby accelerating sustainable social and economic development as part of the government’s effort to reduce poverty through wealth creation.
Daka, last week urged the CA to be vigilant and investigate allegations of people offering VoIP services.
"This practice is illegal in this country and people doing this should know that there are procedures to follow, I am therefore directing the CA to investigate of people allegedly offering VoIP services and bring these culprits to book," said Daka.
However industry sources and experts, who preferred anonymity, observed that certain regulations were affecting new technologies like VoIP and were actually working against the development goals which the ICT policy seeks to achieve.
The sources argued that technological advances like VoIP would support socio-economic development by bringing the benefits of efficient data network use and lowered costs to individual consumers, small businesses, government agencies and community organisations.
"It is cheap to implement and does not require traditional wire infrastructure and can be used to extend the reach of telecommunications at low cost and this in turn offers an effective channel for the delivery of many development services to under serviced and rural communities, though it may jeopardizes telecommunications profits," sources said.
"However, developing countries and communities with low telephone penetration stand to benefit the most from the introduction of new technologies like VoIP and gone are the days of voice traffic over traditional copper wire (which is often stolen) and cabling for data transmissions."
The sources said developing countries like Zambia must formulate legislature to guide the provision of VoIP services since it was easier to implement with very little infrastructure.
"The biggest problem to application of ICTs as tools for development is lack of investment in infrastructure but there are huge cost savings to be gained in under serviced communities by rolling out technologies that allow for both voice and data services on a single but combined cost effective network," said the sources.
"Moreover, until recently VoIP was only available to people with access to computers, but technological advances are extending this and now people can use a regular telephone handset to dial to an intermediate computer connected to the internet that will convert their call to VoIP."
Nevertheless, the Collaboration on international ICT policy-making for East and Southern Africa (CIPESA) in its 2006 annual report noted that use of these (VoIP) effective, cheap technologies were growing in the sub region though illegally, including in different spheres of government.
The report stated that removing restrictions on application of VoIP and allowing competition to thrive in the communications sector will lead to greater choice, lower prices, and the proliferation of innovative services.
"Their (VoIP) existence is no secret at all because people are using them in their homes and offices and removing restrictions will benefit the development needs of under serviced and rural communities where communication services are prohibitively expensive," it stated.
Notable countries across the continent that have legalized VoIP include Algeria, Mauritius, Mali, Nigeria and Kenya.
Labels: COMMUNICATIONS AUTHORITY, ICT, VOIP
posted by MrK @ 2:43 PM
2 Comments:
This is madness by Peter Daka!
His reason for pronouncing use of VOIP as illegal is perplexing. Just because a framework does not exist for a particular market activity does not make it illegal to practice that activity.
As the article points out, use of VOIP has enormous advantages in terms of reducing the cost of making calls.
Maybe he is on the side of the phone company. :)
It wouldn't be the first time in history that big capitalists would try to ban one type of technology, because they are heavily committed to another type of technology.
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