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Panama Decrees Block To Kill VoIP Service

Posted by timothy on from the what-part-of-free-market-don't-you-understand dept.

An anonymous reader writes "In an apparent attempt to stem telephone company revenue losses due to Internet telephony, the government of Panama has decreed that 46 UDP ports be blocked by all Internet service providers. The ports include ones that are commonly used for voice over IP as well as some that are used for other purposes, apparently with the idea that these, too, could be used to circumvent the POTS (plain old telephone system, a term of art) in making telephone calls."

20 of 453 comments (clear)

  1. This is ridiculous by SargeZT · · Score: 3, Funny

    Banning VoIP? Whats next? Possibly banning email to help the USPS?

    --
    And why did you staple the trout to the RAM?
    1. Re:This is ridiculous by The+Original+Yama · · Score: 2, Funny

      ...and in related news tonight, the government of Panama has decided to block the Panama Canal. Apparently, they are 'concerned' about contact with the outside world, and they want to stop this threat to their national sovereignty immediately.

      --
      OLPC Australia
    2. Re:This is ridiculous by sql*kitten · · Score: 3, Funny

      Banning VoIP? Whats next? Possibly banning email to help the USPS?

      Yes, what's next, steel tariffs or something? Nah, that'll never happen.

  2. Re:They will need to also block every other port. by atrus · · Score: 5, Funny

    In other news, Panama is back to using ip addresses to look at websites since DNS is now blocked in that country.

  3. Suggestion to Panama by j1mmy · · Score: 4, Funny

    Please adapt.

    1. Re:Suggestion to Panama by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

      No, I suggest we all just block ALL UDP ports, let's just ban the UDP protocol... hell no, we should ban all TCP and UDP use... and while we're at it, let's just make it illegal to use IP...

      OK? How many in favour? Raise your hand!

    2. Re:Suggestion to Panama by Multics · · Score: 5, Funny
      Or alternately, "Aren't you third-world-ish enough already without this kind of crap?"

      -- Multics

  4. In a Folow Up News Release by Quirk · · Score: 5, Funny

    The Panamania Government has decreed all citizens are to wear tin foil hats to block telepathic circumvention of POTS.

    --
    "Academicians are more likely to share each other's toothbrush than each other's nomenclature."
    Cohen
  5. Re:They will need to also block every other port. by sam_handelman · · Score: 3, Funny

    There are 65534 other ports wich can be used for VoIP, they must block them too!

    The idea is that only the most skilled, black hat hacker can open the preferences for his VoIP software and change the port number.

    --
    The good and new comes from no quarter where it is looked for, and is always something different from what is expected.
  6. I think this is "Just Cause" for... by SuperMario666 · · Score: 2, Funny

    ...some banana republic adventurism!

    Heck, maybe it'll tide us over until Iraq War II debuts in January.

  7. Re:They will need to also block every other port. by The+Original+Yama · · Score: 5, Funny

    Soon they'll also be blocking shipping ports, including the Panama Canal. I've never heard of a country blockading itself before.

    --
    OLPC Australia
  8. The Internet must be a pain in Panama by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

    All those wires connecting North America to South America that have to go through tiny Panama... the ground there must be completely cluttered with fiber optics.

  9. Next day, several new protocols invented... by Polo · · Score: 5, Funny

    I would assume that there will soon be:

    VODNSOIP
    VOHTTPOIP
    VOICMP

    1. Re:Next day, several new protocols invented... by bovril · · Score: 2, Funny

      A convent data channel? Is that the one the nun's use to talk to god?

      --

      ---
      Yeah, well, that's just, like, your opinion, man.
  10. Re:But... But.... by DAldredge · · Score: 2, Funny

    I have sent an email to Al Gore. I will post the response from the creator as soon as I receive it. Then we all shall know the "true spirit of the internet".

  11. Re:Not hard at all... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Funny


    Just use UDP port 53. I'd like to see Panama try to block that one.

  12. In other news... by Bytal · · Score: 3, Funny

    The government of the United States passed a new law prohibiting the manufacturing of internal combustion engines in order to protect the extensive investments of the horse-and-buggy industry against the encroachment of "automobiles". A new 50% tax increase is also planned on the steel and rubber industries as the products of these industries are used extensively in the manufacturing of "automobiles"

  13. Re:Not hard at all... by lostchicken · · Score: 4, Funny

    If TCP became a problem, I'd be happy to sell them a raft of these to take care of all their problems...

    --
    -twb
  14. Panama vs Verizon Wireless by Veovis · · Score: 2, Funny



    As it was:

    Can you hear me now? Good!

    As it will be:

    Can you hear me now? Hello? Can you hear me? Hello?!?!

  15. Email by barry_williams · · Score: 2, Funny

    In response, the Post Office has also decreed that the protocols POP3, SMTP and IMAP should also be banned in an attempt to win back loss revenue.