Well, it shouldn’t come as a surprise to anyone living in the UAE, but the recent voice-calling feature that was rolled out by WhatsApp to Android users has reportedly been blocked on Etisalat’s mobile network.
Multiple users have confirmed that the app still rings when a call comes in but parties aren’t able to hear each other. Some users also reported that they weren’t able to make or receive calls while being on Etisalat’s home services network.
User on Du’s data and wifi networks are still able to make and receive calls, at least until the time this article was published.
VoIP service providers such as Skype, Viber and others are not yet licensed to operate in the UAE, making all VoIP services illegal.
The VoIP regulatory policy has only licensed ‘etisalat’ and ‘du’ (the licensees) to provide telecommunication services in the UAE, including VoIP services. This policy still exists and has not been amended, a TRA spokesman stated a while back when commenting on Viber services.
We reached out to Etisalat and Du for comments and we’ll update the post once we have confirmation.
UPDATE: Both Etisalat and du have blocked the feature.
