DUBAI - International internet calls could be legalised in the UAE by the end of the year , a senior official at the country’s Telecommunications Regulatory Authority (TRA) said on Sunday.

Mohammed Gheyath, executive director of technology development affairs, said the regulator is drawing up a policy on international internet telecommunications, know as Voice over IP (VoIP) and will be published before year-end.

“Hopefully by the end of this year a new policy will be out,” Gheyath told Maktoob Business on the sidelines of Gitex.

The TRA has been working on a proposal to allow international calls through the internet for several years.

Internet-based calls through providers such as Skype and Yahoo have been deemed illegal in the UAE since 2004 and the relevant websites were blocked.

UAE telecoms Etisalat and Du are currently only allowed to offer VoIP services within the country.

Gheyath said under the new policy only licensed providers will be allowed to provide VoIP services, indicating that Etisalat and Du will be the only licensed providers initially.

“The concept of providing a service is so much related to a licensing scheme. In general whatever services you would like to provide you should be licensed for, so only the licensees will be providing it,” he said.

Gheyath said the TRA is looking at different models for how the service will be provided by licensees, without elaborating.

He said licensees will be able to start offering international VoIP as soon as the policy is published.

“The implication should not take time ... both (Etisalat and Du) have the infrastructure in place. I think the minute the policy is out services could be provided,” he said.

Maktoob