Bahrain is studying the use of VoIP Applications (Voice over Internet Protocol) in the Kingdom, in order to ensure that the appropriate public policies and regulation are in place, according a Minister.
However, Shaikh Fawaz Bin Mohammed Al Khalifa, the Minister of State for Communications, said that no decision had been made to limit the use of VoIP technology at this point of time.
VoIP applications account for a significant percentage of business for Bahrain’s telecoms providers, both in terms of fixed line and mobile broadband usage. A recent study by Batelco revealed Skype as the preferred VoIP application for fixed Broadband; while Viber was the application of choice for mobile Broadband, closely followed by Skype. A study cited that during four-day period the number of calls made using VoIP technology totaled close to 100,000.
As can be expected, the highest use is found in international calls, where VoIP minutes outnumbered non-VoIP or TDM (Time Division Multiplexing) minutes via fixed lines. However, with regards to Mobile phones, TDM significantly outstrips VoIP minutes, with 43,309,928 minutes for the former, compared to 5,605,876 for the latter.
“It’s clear that VoIP is a significant tool in telecommunications and it’s the Ministry’s duty to make sure that any technology used in the Kingdom doesn’t present security concerns or clash with our values,” Shaikh Fawaz, said.
“Our mission is to improve the telecommunications landscape in Bahrain and we are studying this matter in order to put the right legislation and responsible policies in place.”