As long as one has a reliable working internet connection and appropriate bandwidth, the good news is that VOIP (voice over internet protocol) works great in the Kingdom. Services such as SKYPE (www.skype.com) and Vonage (www.vonage.com) will work. That is the good news. The bad news is that these services will only work with sufficient bandwidth. Otherwise there may be delays, distortion or other problems when attempting to use the internet telephony options. Much on whether one will have success in using internet telephone, especially one such as vonage, will depend on location. Good internet coverage and appropriate bandwidth seems to depend on location and in some cases, the type of dwelling in which the service is installed. And of course, the medium used (DSL, satellite, WIMAX) will also impact on the speed and clarity of VOIP options. I did not include dial up among the options as typically the speed is too slow to effectively use VOIP.
Options such as skype or vonage are excellent venues to keep in touch with “back home.” Vonage allows one to both make and receive phone calls using either a regular telephone handset or with a device similar to a flash drive. Unlike skype, vonage is not a free service. Various options are available and described in detail at its web site as well as payment terms.
With skype, no additional equipment is required although using skype to call landlines and mobiles or to receive calls from a landline are options available as pay services. Computer to computer VOIP calls via skype are free.
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AA- Delhi4cats,
Nice informative post. I might add that I’ve heard mixed reviews with running VOIP over Satellite (OrbitSAT). One brother told me that the delay forced him to get rid of it, while another is currently using it without any problems. So before putting down the big bucks for the Satellite connection, one should make sure that VOIP works smoothly.
Also, what do you know about the WIMAX setup? Has it gone live yet? I heard it was coming soon, but not sure of the details…
Salam Alaikum Brnaeem,
Glad you enjoyed the post. You are quite right that VOIP over Satellite is purely hit and miss. You may enjoy an earlier post I wrote this week on “Latest on Internet Woes and Saga in Riyadh” where I discuss my miserable Orbit experience. I am obviously not an advocate of Orbit based on personal experience.
However WIMAX is well-worth investigating. In Riyadh, at least, the two providers whom I am aware of are Zooom and Al Bayanat. Coverage is still sketchy and depends on what area one lives in. I am a WIMAX customer now and have no complaints. Again, the post I referenced in para above has info on the WIMAX providers and charges.
Another good option for VOIP in terms of calling landlines is KSAFone. The Prepaid cards are available in convenience stores. The 10$ Card is sold for 29riyals and clarity is good, based on the whole lot of extra time u get, its definitely worth it. Its especially cheap for India and Phillipines.
Over the years various VOIP calling cards and software surface the market, but somehow none last. I remember using PhoneServe and net2phone back in 2000.
(i am not a marketing rep :p )
Ruman,
All experiences and suggestions are most welcomed!
Thanks for your comment…and I’m still waiting for your email!
(american_bedu AT yahoo DOT com)
While you address the technical feasibility of VoIP, you don’t mention the legality!
Several countries–including the KSA, the last time I looked–prohibit the use of VoIP. I had assumed this to be a) to protect state-owned telecomm companies and b) really make phone surveillance difficult for the surveillors! Having had to live with (rather clumsy) phone monitoring, I’m all for anything that avoids it. Not all governments agree, however…
I can’t imagine having an unreliable internet connection! It would… well, it would drive me nuts!
More on my Saudi students… now that Winter semester is almost over, many of them will be returning home for the summer. I’ve been asking them what they’ll do first when they get home. I would have thought it would be ‘sleep’ since it is such a long journey from Detroit, but no! They either say they will visit with family or they will go to the mall! Nice to know that some things stay the same no matter where you are!
Salaam,
Oh….my sister……I agree with the comment up above..without my internet I would just die……..lol …my condolenses on your internet………..lol
John,
I’m not an expert on the legal matters but am presenting the facts of what does or does not work in the Kingdom.
Carol,
Thanks! I appreciate the difference.
You’re welcome, John and glad to see you here!
Hi,
I stumbled upon your post and just want to ask – what is the state of the Internet connection over there? Do most people have broadband connections at home? I read a piece of news a week or so ago saying that in the UAE, the use of VOIP services are currently banned. What do you think of that?
Dave,
Welcome to the blog. I encourage you to read the following post which will answer your query in detail:
http://delhi4cats.wordpress.com/2008/03/17/latest-on-internet-woes-and-saga-in-riyadh/
And in regards to VOIP there is a big distinction here between whether VOIP works; whether it is legal; and whether it is allowed. I think that is pretty common throughout the region.
Regards,
Carol
You can use VOIP as a residential user in Kingdom but using it as a commercial “Making bucks out of it” its completely illegal but using it as a Internet Application its totally illegal. You can visit http://www.citc.gov.sa for more details.