The Livebox device has had its operations suspended by Orange Tunisia, citing regulator INT prohibiting VoIP services in the country. It comes only weeks after Livebox launched its latest version on May 17, and is likely to create tension in the telecom sector, analysts said. “This is going to stir the pot, with operators jockeying for position to show itself as a promoter of such devices,” said Tariq Kandil, a Tunis-based telecom analyst. He said the government should be wary of committing to banning devices that are used by many people. “It could stir unneeded unrest in the country and that is the last thing the telecom industry or the economy needs at this point,” he added. According to local website Tunisie Haut Debit, an INT source told them the dispute is over Orange's routing telephony traffic “over the network of another operator (Tunisie Telecom) without a valid agreement.” According to the regulator, it is working closely with both companies in order to reach a compromise and work out a solution. Orange has called on the INT to accelerate the process to implement local loop unbundling at Tunisie Telecom. BM
