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Illicit calling cards exchanging hands as govt tightens screws(Kuwait Times (KRT) Via Acquire Media NewsEdge) Aug. 29--Illicit internet phone card dealers are becoming tactical these days as their illegal businesses continue to boom despite Kuwait's ban. The dearth of public call centers and unpopular government call card is responsible for the popularity of these illicit call cards. There are many of such cards exchanging hands unnoticed. They include; the Perfect2call, Pc-to-phone, livewire, bigboss, welcome, vyke, go2call, Zero and phoneserve, just to mention but a few. Although some of the bakalas denied doing such bus iness, many users are pointing fingers on them as the main dealers. "They sell to only those they know to avoid being arrested by plain clothed policemen," Mary Phillips, a Filipino expats said. The business is good and risky", one of the dealers' go-between told me as I purchase the $10 phoneserve card 'under-cover'. "It is not everybody that we sell it to. Many bakalas are into the game, but it is very difficult to track them down. We now sell the cards' pin numbers and the passwords instead of carrying the cards", he continued. "This is the new style. The policemen can arrest you only when they see you with the cards. They can't arrest you when they see you with numbers written on a piece of p aper," the go-between said audaciously. Some of the users blamed the government for lack of viable alternatives. "There is no other alternative to this. We can neither use Zain nor Wataniya to make international calls because the costs are very high. A $10 card of either Vyke, go-2 call, Welcome, pc-phone etc will give you at least 40 minutes talktime to Egypt and more than two hours to US. The difference is much compared to the KD card from the ministry of communication", Walid Yousif, an Egyptian expat lamented. Sanaa Mohammed said she prefers to call her people than them calling her because of the cost of receiving international calls in Kuwait. "Kuwait mobile phone operators charge heavily for receiving both landlines and international calls. I think it is only in Kuwait that this happens. One loses money for receiving international calls with a mobile phone. The same thing goes to receiving calls from landline with a mobile phone. So, instead of paying for receiving international calls- and them (family in Leba non) spending money to call me, I just buy the 'welcome card' and call them. This gives me about 60 minutes of talk time depending on the line they are using there," Sanaa said. Some blame the government for lack of phone booths and public call centers. "You can hardly see any public phone centers here in Kuwait. I was told there are government-approved call cards but I have not seen any. They are not available in most of the bakalas. I guess it must be on the high side too", Waseen Kaleed, a Pakistani said. Moreover, the international call rates in Kuwait are very expensive compared to other Gulf countries. To make things worse, the two mobile operators in Kuwait charge money for both receiving landlines and international calls. In UAE, for example, Etisalat (a mobile phone operator) charges about 30 fils for every 300 sec (5 minutes) for all calls made within, while receiving calls (both international and local) is free of charge. With the global economic crunch and skyrocketing inflation, Kuwait's mobile phone users are feeling the bite of these exorbitant charges, coupled with the high cost of living. The government needs to wade in to deregulate and curtail these excesses. Also, there is need for more mobile phone operators in Kuwait. This will make the business more competitive -thus providing more and better alternatives. It would help in bringing down the calling rates. "Until the telecommunication sector is deregulated and i nternational call cost is lowered, such illegal business activities will continue to flourish in Kuwait," Waseen added. The Kuwait government has blocked some websites and banned the cheap call cards termed 'illicit' but they failed to provide a functional alternative to these things that were banned. Whereas some argued that the government's action is an anti-globalization measure, many say it is an infringement of human rights. Email: [email protected] To see more of The Kuwait Times or to subscribe to the newspaper, go to http://www.kuwaittimes.net/. Copyright (c) 2008, Kuwait Times Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services. For reprints, email [email protected], call 800-374-7985 or 847-635-6550, send a fax to 847-635-6968, or write to The Permissions Group Inc., 1247 Milwaukee Ave., Suite 303, Glenview, IL 60025, USA. |