TRA in talks with etisalat and du to provide VoIP services

Dubai: The United Arab Emirates' telecom regulator is in discussions with the country's two service providers to introduce VoIP, or voice-over-protocol services, Mohammad Al Ganem said in an interview in Dubai.

There is no need for a third operator in the country, the director general of the regulatory authority said.

The deadline for Emirates Telecommunications Corp. (etisalat) and Emirates Integrated Telecommunications Co. (du) to agree on infrastructure sharing is the end of this year, he said.

Consumers will see a drop next year in internet charges as a result of the agreement, Al Ganem said.