The government of Ethiopia, in a draft law, slapped a ban on Skype and other Voice-over-Internet-Protocol (VoIP) services straight off earlier this month, according to Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ).
The Government Communication Affairs Office (GCAO) has however clarified that the draft law does not prohibit using Skype or the other VoIP services by individuals.
“There is no prohibition of people calling abroad on Skype from internet cafes or elsewhere,” said GCAO spokesperson Shimeles Kemal.
According to GCAO, last week’s draft law that allegedly banned Skype and other VoIP services was drawn to curb illegal telephone operators – and not individuals — from using Skype and other VoIP Internet services.
According to Kemal, the draft law seeks to restrict Internet telephone activities and not telecom activities across computers. He added that it however aims to restrict unlicensed service providers who use Internet to provide telephone services from Internet to telephone lines.
The regulation does not aim to restrict IP and cyber activities. It does not also intend to restrict computer-to-computer services, Kemal said.
The draft law was a follow up to claims by the state owned Ethio Telecom that a number of Ethiopian ISPs were allowing illegal international calls for selfish gains.
The draft law was set to tighten the government’s grip on operators by passing the local telecom regulator and causing financial damage to the country, which according to government reports, have cost the country over US$50 million.
Contrary to what was reported on the CPJ, users in Ethiopia can still use Skype and other VoIP services — just a week after the government made it public that using the services could earn one a 15-year jail term.
