PBH / colombia (active forums more▼ | travelguide | pictures) / post

Voice over IP legal?

Is Voice over IP legal in Colombia?

By RussianFred on Sep 7, 2007, 22:57 in Friendly Talkzone.

Peter (Moderator) says on Sep 8, 2007, 01:34:

Isn't VOIP legal everywhere?

Poor but snappy

0 funny, 0 helpful.

alezzz says on Sep 8, 2007, 02:26:

I'm planning on taking a Packet8 device with me to Colombia to have a number where anyone from the US can callme at anytime. is that legal ?

---Music is the strongest form of magic.---

0 funny, 0 helpful.

tomtom33 says on Sep 8, 2007, 04:40:

I have been using VOIP in Colombia for a year now. Of course I do a lot of illegal things.

0 funny, 0 helpful.

ColombiaVeg.com says on Sep 8, 2007, 05:40:

For some years, countries blocked VOIP calling to support the traditional domestic telecom companies while they got their act together to be able to offer the same service. Very few countries still block it. In Colombia, most telecom companies are offering VOIP service. I use a software based VOIP service out of Europe with no problem. Next step is one of those wireless VOIP phones to use with the service, so I'm not tied down to the laptop via headset to make calls.

>R

0 funny, 0 helpful.

webmanco says on Sep 8, 2007, 06:12:

Voice over Ip it is not legal to comercialize in most countries. In Colombia this is due to the fact that the main Phone operatros, ETB, Orbitel, Telecom did paid for the rigths to provide and sell local and international communication services.

More information in "La Comisión Reguladora de Telecomunicaciones"

http://www.crt.gov.co/

...A yo, déjenme queto y no me jodan má! ...

0 funny, 0 helpful.

expatriate says on Sep 8, 2007, 06:59:

I have no problem using Skype and Yahoo Messenger in Cali to call land line phones anywhere, and cell phones in the U.S.

Voip connections to Colombian cell phones, however, are very broken up, and are best called with another cell phone.

0 funny, 0 helpful.

panthdave says on Sep 8, 2007, 08:34:

So your saying using Vonage VOIP thru UNE Banda Ache is illegal or just to sell Vonage in Colombia is illegal..and personal use is legal...Sounds like drugs in Colombia illegal to sell but personal use is legal..What a country I love it..thats why I am here..all the time..

panthdave Miami

0 funny, 0 helpful.

RussianFred says on Sep 8, 2007, 11:15:

It think VOIP use for business is not legal.

Annual Drug Deaths: Tobacco: 395,000, Alcohol: 125,000, 'Legal' Drugs: 38,000, Illegal Drug Overdoses: 5,200, Marijuana: 0. Considering government subsidies of tobacco, just what is our government protecting us from in the drug war?--Ralph Nader

0 funny, 0 helpful.

Frank Rizzo says on Sep 9, 2007, 07:22:

We use VIOP for personal use from the US to colombia.... Though you better tell all the internet cafe's that VOIP for usage in selling calls to the us is illegal....jajajajaja.....It may be on the books...but they are doing it anyway.

0 funny, 0 helpful.

Robert Jorge says on Sep 9, 2007, 12:48:

Frank, I bet those Internet cafes let you use the VOIP service for free, but you have to rent the computer for 500 pesos a minute. jajaja That is hilarious.

BEWARE of gold diggers.

0 funny, 0 helpful.

Frank Rizzo says on Sep 9, 2007, 13:34:

Exactly RJ........jajajajaaj....leave it to colombia to figure out their ways....

0 funny, 0 helpful.

mrxcol says on Sep 10, 2007, 09:03:

It's not VOIP legal or not. In Colombia, you can't offer a paid service which connect a local line (wheter cell phone or fixed line) to any other service which provides an international call if you're not using one of the three authorized carriers: ETB (007) , Orbitel (005) or Telefonica Telecom (009).

A sample scenario: you can't have a business in which the user calls from his local telephone to your PBX, and you provide him a connection to another country without paying somebody else. You must pay something to any carrier.

But, you can sell the service if the user goes to your stores and uses your mic and speakers or a simple telephone inside your store to make the call. You're not connecting the fixed line phone service (or cell phone service) to any other.

VOIP for your own ? all you can use. There's no problem with using it.

One extra thing about it: Many enter prises use their Internet links to make calls to other countries. That's legal (it's up to you to deal with quality, availability, etc.). Also, many enterprises have PBX which allows their employees to make foreign calls from their houses by using their internal network. Technically speaking that's illegal even though they're not selling. They're connecting two systems and not paying a carrier.

0 funny, 0 helpful.

Frank Rizzo says on Sep 10, 2007, 11:52:

Mrx and Rubito....I agree you're not supposed to do it....but i know of 3 that are doing it..(and that's all the salons i know...as i really don't use them)...

0 funny, 0 helpful.

RussianFred says on Sep 10, 2007, 11:55:

I would hate to go to a Colombian jail for illegally using VOIP and being a convicted VOIPER!! lol

0 funny, 0 helpful.

webmanco says on Sep 10, 2007, 12:02:

"Also, many enterprises have PBX which allows their employees to make foreign calls from their houses by using their internal network."

For Enterprises it is only legal if they made calls thru their offices, or point to point calls. The minute the use voip to call providers or to do some marketing then it becomes ilegal.

...A yo, déjenme queto y no me jodan má! ...

0 funny, 0 helpful.

Frank Rizzo says on Sep 10, 2007, 13:43:

jajajaj you're not kidding Rubito...it really is the wild west in many cases.....i'm sure you've got the same stories that you can't go into online.....it's funny though and makes me think of what the old west was like in it's time....... I like it..!!

0 funny, 0 helpful.