Skype - Haiti Observer Blog

The government of Haiti (GOH) is concerned about the growing popularity of two Internet services that permit consumers to make calls overseas for very affordable or no rates at all. The GOH claims the services are causing the GOH to lose revenues.

One of the services, magicJack, is a device that uses the USB port of a computer and a landline phone jack to place unlimited calls to Canada and the U.S. The technology is called VoIP, which means Voiceover Internet Protocol. The other service, Skype (also VoIP technology), uses a computer microphone, webcam, and instant messaging to place calls worldwide. If calls are placed to another user, who also has Skype installed on their computer, the calls are free.

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If the Haitian government could have it his way, to communicate with a friend or family member outside of Haiti, you would have to go back to the time when you go to Teleco, pay a huge fee. Then, you ask the operator to make the call. You wait in the waiting room from anywhere between one to four hours. Finally, there is contact, you are called to go to a small "cabine". If you are lucky, the person is there. You need to speak loudly in order for the person to hear you; at the same time, everyone else become part of the conversation.

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