At work I’ve got a Fasttelco connection and today I noticed that Skype was blocked. I don’t know how long its been blocked for but I found it strange that it was. Then someone posted a comment on the blog saying that United Networks have also blocked Skype. I’ve got a Qualitynet connection at home and at the moment Skype is still not blocked here but now I’m wondering if Qualitynet will start blocking skype to.
Update: Its also blocked on KEMS/Zajil
Update2: As of today morning the site is no longer blocked by Fasttelco
43 replies on “Skype getting blocked in Kuwait”
why the hell would they block skype?
I’ve wrote something about it, a similar problem with KEMS
https://www.frankom.com/?p=3406
have they b locked only the site? or the protocol too ?(meaning can you guys sign in?)
They can only block the site.. u can’t block skype usage.. the communication is encrypted.. Etisalat has spent a whole lots of money to block it but no use..
As long as u have the client u should be fine..
i have United Networks at home ,,,, and i CAN sign in !!!
do u mean the site ?
cause the site is indeed blocked
Well for me both the site and the software are working
wtf did skype do to deserve this ?
Thanks to your blog, it will now be blocked! You just reminded them! 😉
Remember last year, they did exactly the same thing.
For MOC Int calls a major money maker for them, especially all the thieves in charge who benefited from it. (One of them stole enough money to open up a bank !)
I guess they never heard that most chat apps actually provide audio/video, the people in charge of MOC still live in the stone-age just go and look at their homepage and get a nice laugh…are these people really qualified to be in charge of the internet pffffft…
agree
works fine on e-go 🙂
Works for me-though I see no logic beind blocking freaking Skype, people use it to TALK, shfe oma.
Well, you would understand why they would block it because getting things for free isn’t really what the world is about today or years ago. You would see the logic when you need to maintain telephone companies monopoly on the telecommunications market in the country. No company wants to go out of business. I am not saying I like the idea but I understand it.
Internet freedom is another area they are trying to control. They forgot that they don’t own the internet. In addition to the high internet subscription charges, crappy connections, and blocked P2P and internet websites they are limiting our freedom to use whatever service we want. I am sure that they will try blocking internet movie rental services in the near future.
I talked to my friends 3 days ago and it worked..
Why did they block it? Is there anything that they did’nt block? Do they want to block google? They really really annoy me with those stupid ideas
I mean okay if the site is bad and stuff bas what’s wrong with skype? People talk to their friends and family !! well that’s what I do and what everyone I know does..
So annoying.
Does that make any sense to anyone? Nothing can justify this! Are they never going to stop!? This is getting too stupid. Pornography and gambling I can understand, but Skype….? That’s very sad: We’re watching the corruption of what used to be one of the most desirable countries in the middle east.
I have using ZAJIL as we speak an not i can confirm that SKYPE works perfectly fine.
have = am
an = and
not = no
MOC don’t know how to market their own product so they are trying to block the major VoIP pushers.
“Take a deep breath”
As long as you get hold of the skype client (It’s available on sites other than skype.com), you should be fine. It’s very difficult to block the client itself because it has a whole load of tricks up it’s sleeve.
what do you guys mean by ‘skype client?’
I am still being automatically logged into skype
and I hope it continues working
I have a bunch of credit on my account
It is open now.
I’m connected through Wnet and its all fine with me. I can log into the website and the application is working.
“what do you guys mean by �skype client?�”
@jooj, skype client is the software that you install on your computer.
skype.com is the website that is blocked by the ISP’s.
To get the client, you normally need to visit the website to download the client. No website, no software.
No skype for you!
Unless, of course, you can find the client using a different website or using other methods such as torrents… or Hawally as a last measure 🙂
SHIIIIIIIIIIIIIT! they blocked the website! noooooooooooooooo!
I use skype on my iPhone through “Fring”, which also slows me to chat through MSN and aol and others.. Its still working fine.
Emails are taking business away from kuwaiti mail/post system, will they make emails ilegal?? Same logic if it is logical at all. Corruption seems to be the order of the day here in kuwait. They call it sterling int. Lines… What a joke!!
The website has been blocked a long while now (on Kems that is) but it’s still working on eGo.
For others not to get things mixed up, you can use skype with any internet connection, the website is the blocked one and that will cause you a problem if you need to download the software or if you need to buy credit.
But WHY would they block Skype? What could they really accomplish by blocking the website? Is there another way to buy Skype credit?
This is what I had to say about the issue last year in the arab times:
https://www.hilaliya.com/2007/03/kuwait-ministry-of-communicati.html
I suggest people write about this and make a stink, preferably in the local press.
The issue isnt relegated to just communication fees lost by MOC but freedom of speech as well (MOC cannot monitor Skype calls)
on kems only skype site is blocked but not the actual software …right now the software is working on ucc, quality and kems ..fasttelco no idea ? ….juss get the software from your frnds.
Solutions to overcome this were created long time ago, Check httptunnel or tor as an example.
how are you able to get skype credit?
This is great. This is JUST great. I’m using Qualitynet, and guess what? They’ve blocked it, too, for no obvious reasons! I wish they could just let us know why, and if the reasons were fair, then so be it…But God, this is absolutely irretating! Grrr…
Ministry Of Corruption.
My GOD! this just keeps getting worse! where are we heading with all this nonsense!
what?! they wana cut us off from the world?! live in the dark ages or better yet stone ages maybe..
may god bless our parliament.
plz any more surprises u wana throw at us?
oh i know! how about throwing us in freakin cages! What happened to free kuwait?!
assholes.
It is not acceptable.
I don’t know who will help to unblocked the sites.
is everyone able to get skype credit easily?
To be honest with you guys, this did not surprise me. I visited Skype official website and it was blocked (by ministry of communication, Qnet ISP). although it is easy to get a copy of Skype online through TONS of other file hosting websites, I don’t see the point of blocking the official website. WE as a community allowed the idea of mass blocking websites, no one protested. most of US thought its a good idea to mass block adult websites in the begining. although its and absurdly a stupid idea. becausethere is always a way to get around it, which doesn’t solve the issue in the first place. when you go and buy a new sattalite do you go and demand TV channels to stop broadcasting adult material ? no , you are either stupid enough not to buy the service in the first place for religion reasons or whatever, or you would monitor your OWN home usage by setting passwords for certain channels. the same thing applies to the internet. first of all information is FREE you should not and CANNOT hide it from the public no matter how hard you try. instead every one should monitor his own internet usage by setting the router or installing the so-called internet nanny software. not knowing how to monitor your home internet usage is your own damn problem, not everyone’s else in the community. utterly pathetic minds we have in the this society, who always apply fake solutions to daily life problems so they can rest their minds at night. don’t complain anymore why we are yet living in the 3rd world.
@35: I bought Skype credit few times. try using VPN’s to access the official website and get some credit.
trying to get a new broadband connection in kuwait .. is it actually still possible to voice chat on the kems dsl on other client softwares or skype itself ?
If you want to download skype search for skype mirror and you”find sites like hippo file that you can download from.
Once installed you can run skype with problem
I mean without problem, left the out out LOL
Voice over IP for whatever reason is actually Illegal in Kuwait… i dont know why but i know it is
I don’t know much about the MOC, but if all VOIP is blocked, it would be a simple protocol to block. Many businesses here rely on it.
Does anyone have a recommendation on a VPN client, as my skype credits are gone! I only use it for SMS to the states.
To chat, I use Google Chat. Free to US and CAN phones! 🙂