Russian telecom companies are campaigning to the government to stop the use of Skype and other foreign VoIP services in Russia. The Russian telecom companies are stating that the encrypted VoIP services are a danger to national security. The group of companies lobbying for the action has formed a partnership with the ruling political party and is in the process of drafting legal safeguards against the supposed risks posed by VoIP services.
Speculation has arisen about the financial impact of Skype and other VoIP services on the earnings of the Russian telecom companies. Russian telecom companies have been losing money over the last number of years due to the increased use of VoIP services. Some Russians have even setup businesses offering facilities to make untraceable calls.
Russia is not the only country to have concerns about the encrypted VoIP services. Many governments have been unhappy about their inability to monitor calls made on these services.
The Russian companies have proposed creating VoIP services within their own firms that would be made “safely” available to the Russian public.
Source: The Inquirer
Michael Reed
