International companies will not be given licences for VoIP, a service that enables telephone

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calls over the internet, in the UAE, the country's telecom regulator has said.

"No licences for international companies like Skype for the time being, they can join existing licencees and have partnerships with them," Telecoms Regulatory Authority (TRA) executive director for technology development affairs Mohammed Gheyath said on Monday.

He also said there is no time frame for the same.

The authority said VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) services will only be allowed for the four companies that have been granted operating licences in the UAE – Etisalat and du, as well as the satellite service providers Yahsat and Thuraya.

However, third party services such as Skype will be allowed to enter into partnerships.

Last year, the regulator had said it was in talks with Etisalat and du on VoIP and was "pushing" for international calls, adding that the service for calls made locally was already available.

"No entity in the UAE can provide telecommunication services to the public unless it is licensed. Regardless of the way it provides its services, it has to be licenced," said Mohammad Al Ganem, TRA director-general.

He also specified that the authority is not preventing the use of a service that the population has a right to. "It is a licencing issue."