VOIP in Pakistan: Free Calls to Pakistan a reality?
By Babar Bhatti | January 2, 2007 | 29 Comments
I see some interesting developments for free or cheap calls to and from Pakistan using Voice over Internet Protocol – i.e. Internet Telephony. This is in parallel to new services (Rebetel and FreeCallPlanet for instance) in US and Europe which allow international calls through mobile phones for the price of regular domestic calls. For a recap of Pakistan’s VOIP situation see my previous posts about free calls to Pakistan and Skype. Also see this post from KO for historical background.
In 2006 there was a lot of turbulence around VOIP in Pakistan. The policy of PTA towards VOIP has never been clear. Some companies in Pakistan – Braintel for instance - have started offering services but they are under the threat of violation of current policies. Some companies are using VOIP to route calls from Pakistan to abroad – that is they provide you a Pakistan number which rings on your US phone - for a monthly fee of $30-50. In future there may be a possibility of a package for calling Pakistan for $10/month flat from FreeCallPlanet.
PTA raided many illegal gateways and claimed that such “grey telephony” setups were costing it millions of rupees. There was an unfortunate incidentas well in which a software startup in Islamabad was wrongly accused of using VOIP termination and its innocent CEO was jailed for many days. This caused a lot of uproar from Pakistan Software professionals and organization.
As a response to all that PTA has made this announcement on its site:
The main issue here is the termination fee – the amount PTCL wants to get for routing the call through its infrastructure (PSTN). This is the reason why international calls to Pakistan are still so expensive as compared with calls to US or Europe etc. That is why Pakistan does not show up on FuturePhone (not in service anymore) list of countries where you can call for the price of a domestic call from the US. By the way Etisalat has been doing the same thing in UAE and has blocked Skype there. It is high time that PTA fixes this mess by opening up VOIP and allows free market competition to roll in.
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29 Responses to “VOIP in Pakistan: Free Calls to Pakistan a reality?”
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January 3rd, 2007 @ 2:15 am
I really hope that all the operators in this world don’t suppress the development of VOIP technology, as it is only a backward step. After all, we need to look back our main objective of having telecom tech in our ife, – to bring human being together!
January 3rd, 2007 @ 2:30 am
They can try to enforce their monopoly all they want but its stupid to curtail development, specially in a country like ours where economic prosperity is more like a dream yet these bureaucrats like to shove expensive calling solutions down our throat.
I see these companies actually doing a crime towards the progress of our country, its time the woke up from their greed and thought what is best for Pakistan.
February 1st, 2007 @ 10:22 pm
I agree with Teeth Maestro, ON one side they are seeking to promote broadband culture in pakistan as reflected in Broadband policy 2004 from ministry of IT and on otherside they are playing in the hands of monoply carreires and blocking broadband culture in country … what a contradiction ?
February 12th, 2007 @ 12:16 pm
GULF NEWS (2/10) reports that an official of Etisalat said that banning VoIP is a losing battle, and that the incumbent telecom operator in the United Arab Emirates is studying how it might offer the technology to consumers.
September 22nd, 2007 @ 2:56 pm
[...] Read the full post at the new blog. [...]
October 29th, 2007 @ 9:57 am
Are there currently any VoIP providers in Pakistan? I’m currently using Packet 8 from the US in Pakistan … and would prefer to have a Pakistani ph # which I can use in the US.
Shahab
November 16th, 2007 @ 4:14 pm
PLEASE SEND ME VOIP SERVICE WHO GIVE ME A FREE CALLS DENMARK TO PAKISTAN
April 1st, 2008 @ 12:38 pm
yar ais website mujay bahi pata hai jiss say din mai 2:30min ke 3time call ho jatee hian.
os ka full name mai nahi likhown ga. http://www.low__ip__es.com
agher kisee nai ais website ka addrees lina hia to muj say ais E:mail per contact kery.
im_bilal1989@hotmail.com
im_bilal1989@yahoo.com
May 5th, 2008 @ 2:43 am
Fuck PTA ! The losers can only impose unnecessary limitations to serve their self oriented goals.
May 23rd, 2008 @ 1:17 pm
free calls…. and VOIP…. simple…… http://www.connect2pk.com
May 24th, 2008 @ 8:56 am
i was using voipwise before for pakistan at very cheap cost but now its becoming more and more expensive why like this? now many persons are leaving this software because they need something affordable if voipwise rates will go like this we were very optimistic with voipwise but now i think they are trying to lose there costumers so my request is to please take down rates for pakistan as we will be much obliged thanks
July 21st, 2008 @ 8:58 am
how can i make free calls to pakistan
October 15th, 2008 @ 6:11 am
how can i make free calls to pakistan plz tell me i am waiting for your response.
fakhar_ayub6@hotmail.com
November 17th, 2008 @ 1:16 am
I don’t agree with the writer, even if one has VoIP bandwidth he still has to terminate at a PSTN network which is of PTCL all around Pakistan, so you have to pay for using their nettwork. secondly, if you ask for a free play, i.e. anyone puts in Media gatyeway and starts terminating/orignating calls means “no rule”, no standard, dog eat dog, which is also wrong there must be rules of the game. To me, PTA is doing good but its policies are very vague, must be clearer and specific.
December 14th, 2008 @ 7:11 am
guys i m here n Australia. i wana know z there any service through which i can make free r cheap call to pakistan. i would appreciate ur help.
thankx.
December 30th, 2008 @ 11:14 pm
hey guys! i live in usa can anybody tell me how i can make free calls to pakistan
bahuat meherbani hogi
January 14th, 2009 @ 3:23 am
Hey,
Guys how i can make cheap calls to PAKISTAN from USA. What is best way or best service BUT cheap plz let me know ASAP?
Naseer
January 18th, 2009 @ 8:31 am
Dear Sir,
Can you please let me know the call rates from Pakistan to Dubai UAE including? Also write me that do your call conference facility?
Your prompt reply will be appreciated.
Regards,
Mian Shahid
February 22nd, 2009 @ 3:15 am
Dear All,
Use Tpad service and receive free call on PC or SIP enable WIFI phones from all over the world.
For More infmroation visit http://www.tpad.com
February 25th, 2009 @ 1:42 am
Hello Guys, for all of those looking for a cheap of free call service from US and Europe to Pakistan, i would recommend you to use VopiumVopium. Using its Call Pakistan Service you can get 250 minutes to call any network, both landline and mobile, in Pakistan for only USD 16.58 per month. The surprising fact is that the service is available in Europe, US, Australia, Denmark, Canada and many other countries and supports more than 500 different devices. Try it today, it covers my budget and convenient for me . I hope it will work for all of you too.
February 27th, 2009 @ 2:02 am
Drear i have account http://www.freecall.com please vsist http://www.freecall.com and make free with free call account
thanks
May 24th, 2009 @ 3:38 pm
[...] equipment and systems to make Internet Phone calls. For more details read these articles: State of Telecom Industry in Pakistan VOIP in Pakistan: Free Calls to Pakistan a reality? State of Telecom Industry in Pakistan VOIP in Pakistan: Free Calls to Pakistan a [...]
October 7th, 2009 @ 7:41 pm
pls tel me , who will give me free voip service pakistan and canada.
November 19th, 2009 @ 6:55 pm
hi every one you can make free call to pakistan and all world
keep enjoying ,,,
December 6th, 2009 @ 11:46 am
how we can call to poakistan free
January 4th, 2010 @ 3:28 pm
hai
January 30th, 2010 @ 8:53 pm
if any one wants to see hell then plz visit pakistan…….
with no role’s and regulation. there in pakistan government rit is just to take everything from the people & dont let them live happily. just a bull shit country
February 11th, 2010 @ 9:42 am
let Awab’s words resonate into PTA pipe :
” I see these companies actually doing a crime towards the progress of our country, its time the woke up from their greed and thought what is best for Pakistan. ”
Absolutely right !!
February 20th, 2010 @ 2:43 pm
U can call free upto 2 minutes per day.