Viber, Skype, WhatsApp, or Imo could cease being as freely accessible as they currently are in Senegal. The country’s telecom regulator (ARTP) has in fact decided to review the impact that VoIP applications have on telecom operators.

Seyni Fati, director of ARTP’s economy and markets made the announcement on November 19, 2015 during the training & information seminar that the telecom regulator organized for journalists specialized in technology and communication (REJOTIC).

According to Seyni Fato, “operators complained a lot to the government and the regulator because the population is increasingly using these applications and causing them to lose profits off their international traffic”.

Sonatel’s communication service questioned about the matter during the seminar answered: “OTTs with their economic model, generate more revenues by relying on our infrastructures, without consideration for telecom licence holders and the State to which they pay no compensation”. Due to this, The State as well as the telecom companies lose billions of dollars, Sonatel adds.

In France, Skype was asked to declare itself as an operator, Seyni Fati said. In Senegal, “since operators live in a competitive environment and must get a return on their investment, something should be done about the threat that OTTs pose for operators”.