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COVID-19

UAE Lifts Ban on Online Video-Call Apps Amid COVID-19 Lockdown

This decree comes in an effort to make it easier for employees to work from home.
by WAYA Staff - Mar 24, 2020
UAE Lifts Ban on Online Video-Call Apps Amid COVID-19 Lockdown
Source: Tirza van Dijk

Video and voice-call apps like Skype, Zoom, and Google Hangouts will no longer be banned in the UAE. The Telecommunications Regulatory Authority took this decision to make it easier for workers to communicate with their teams without leaving their houses to stem the spread of COVID-19.

For several years, most Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) services that offer free voice and video calls via the internet, were banned in the UAE. The rationale behind this ban was to benefit domestic telecom companies, controlled by the state.

On Monday, the UAE gave orders to its residents to stay at home. Schools and universities have been suspended and malls are set to be suspended in the next 24 hours as well as transit flights. So far, there are 198 confirmed cases of coronavirus in the UAE; 41 recovered and two died.

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