Amman, 1st June 2004
 
Jordan Telecom Chief Strategy Officer, Luc Savage, said the Companys major reductions on international call rates, which were originally aimed at rebalancing tariffs, have contributed to curbing illegal telephone calls. 
 
The measure, according to Savage, has served to curb such illegal means as making international phone calls through the Internet, by using technologies that are designed for the transfer of data and information such as Leased Lines and Microwave stations.  Such means produce low quality voice data and result in the disruption of other supplementary services, explained Savage.  Other adverse effects of such practices include the inability to send or receive faxes, compromising confidentiality and other privileges relating to broadband.
 
Apart from the negative effects on the user, such illegal practices cause the service provider to incur substantial losses as a result of smuggled calls which are meant to pass through the networks of communications companies.  Jordan Telecom, for one, estimates losses incurred through such illegal means at more than JD10 million annually.  Users on the other hand are helping foreign operators to gain the benefit instead, Savage noted. 
 
In collaboration with the Telecommunications Regulatory Commission and other parties involved, including the Anti-Corruption Department, Jordan Telecom has been following up on such violations, as a result of which the offices of dealers have been closed down and perpetrators sent to court, said Savage.
 
In another measure aimed at preventing illegal practice, Jordan Telecom has taken the matter a step further and is already planning to provide the market with other options that legalize such communications.  According to Savage, Jordan Telecom in cooperation with its strategic partners is now ready to provide the VOIP service using fiber optics.  The service will be on offer after licensing from the Telecommunications Regulatory Commission and the Audio-Visual Media Commission.  Earlier Jordan Telecom had announced the completion of IMSP, which will enable the Company to offer advanced services through fiber optics, including Internet phone calls and video-telephone, among others.

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© Press Release 2004