By I read this over on the USFK Facebook page about how it appears LG DACOM maybe ripping off soldiers:
I’m just wondering, has there been any other info on the entire LG DACOM blocking Skype? Are they going to unblock it? Many many people I know use Skype to call home and speak to their families, even talk to them face to face with a webcam. I would like to be able to speak with my family back home without having to use… my cell phone that I have here that costs 2.50 per minute to speak with them. Please let us know if there is anything that can be done to unblock our Skype programs on our computers. Thank you.
Has anyone else had any problems with LG DACOM blocking Skype? LG DACOM has a shady past, but this would be a pretty blatant shady practice if true.
1:43 pm on March 30th, 2010 1
I remember that too.
I wonder if it's an 'on base only' blockage (if the block exists)? I know offbase (where I live) it works fine (as well as lesser known call-home options like VOIP Discount). However, at home I have KT as my service provider.
UPDATE: It works here at Humphreys – but we use KT here in the office, not LG.
2:19 pm on March 30th, 2010 2
Using a calling card that you can get from 7-11 is good too. 10,000 won for 3-7 hours.
3:17 pm on March 30th, 2010 3
use an anomoyous server like YOUHIDE.COM
4:35 pm on March 30th, 2010 4
I seem to recall an issue about this a few years ago where USFK actually got involved and asked the Korean service providers to allow skype access. Anyone else remember this?
4:43 pm on March 30th, 2010 5
No experience with SKYPE, but my Magic Jack works fine. My mom asked how many minutes I had left a couple of weeks ago and I told her “6 months, give or take a week.”
4:59 pm on March 30th, 2010 6
LG has a VOIP phone system, That's why they might be blocking skype. Pressure from users should be enough to make them unblock it.
6:47 pm on March 30th, 2010 7
Computer to Computer skype is free and good quality. As far as calling landlines, for 10,000 skype is even better, especially if your wife likes to call various third world countries… daily.
6:50 pm on March 30th, 2010 8
They threw a fit a few years and got Vonage banned for use by USFK personnel.
11:29 pm on March 30th, 2010 9
you can still skype to skype, but you can't call regular phones.
10:40 pm on March 31st, 2010 10
This goes back a long way, but despite several underhanded deals, DACOM still has the contract, and they are blocking VOIP channels for AAFES customers.
http://rokdrop.com/2009/06/13/jeong-gi-hwan-convi…
http://www.stripes.com/article.asp?section=104&am…
http://rokdrop.com/2008/12/09/ssrt-internet-provi…
3:53 pm on April 1st, 2010 11
my husband uses skype from GUnsan AB and has no problems calling skype to skype or skype to land line
9:15 am on April 8th, 2010 12
I just got here and cannot make calls to landlines from skype. It is not my computer either…it is blocked at the port. How can they do this? It's a software program?
5:22 am on May 21st, 2010 13
Ive been here since october and it worked fine till one morning all my calls failed. no news from the higher ups even though its everyone in the dorms here at osan. my buddy down the hall has his working, he is useing a router that does port mapping. whatever that means. hopefully they will fix it soon. hate to use phone card till i go back in JAN
9:56 pm on August 21st, 2010 14
Yes, LG Dacom has formally blocked Skype-to-landline calls claiming "bandwidth" as a concern here at Osan AB. It's been like this for at least 4mos and is a new revelation in the daily problems I've had with LG Dacom 19mos.
This is the worst DSL service I've ever used. The speeds are well-below advertised prices and we're overcharged by as much as 1500% compared to prices they provide right outside the installation with significantly higher speeds. The DHCP servers lease out-of-range addresses because they don't have enough addresses for all the residents. When we call tech support, they tell us to restart our computer. When it doesn't work, they tell us they'll figure it out… and of course it takes days to get a new DHCP lease.
We've complained to the base, to the unit, to the IG… No one cares and it's not being fixed and hasn't been addressed since we were last told several months ago that they were "looking into" the Skype issue. All we want is to have a second company brought to the installation to provide competition.
10:51 pm on August 21st, 2010 15
LG DACOM blocks more than Skype. They've contracted to maintain a government-owned network and provide internet service over it. The network can be upgraded, but LG DACOM will have to pay for it to happen in a way that meets the US government's specifications.
It was Korea Telecom who did this back in the day, under the same broad MOU that governs DSNs.
If you live in contracted housing on-post, like Hannam Village, Camp George, and the townhouses on Yongsan — buildings that are not owned by the US government — your internet service is provided by KT for a third of the price of LG DACOM and ten times faster, with more immediate customer service. And since LG DACOM isn't involved and if you're authorized, it's a heck of a lot easier to get DSN and NIPR lines installed in your quarters.
4:41 am on August 22nd, 2010 16
Surprize surprize!
Actually I am not surprized.
This should be brought up on the commander's corral for OSAN. I think first tuesday every month.
Make SURE to point out that off post services are FAR cheaper and superior! My Skype works fine off post.
This issue was brought up bout 4 years back also – and I seem to think that some 'backroom shady deals' were going on with the BX manager – who make have been involved – and skimmin off the top. But he quit and ran before he got found out.
State to the commander that:
"Osan airmen and their families are hard workers and should not be subject to different terms of service than those off post. Don't we deserve better sir?"
Bring that sh!t up to him – maybe he will do something.
Of not.
Sometimes -SOME- commanders are inept and/or don't care.
If a statementabout "the services are the same offpost" I would GLADLY bring in my most recent payment stub to the radio station to buck that responce.
4:41 am on August 22nd, 2010 17
PS – I got KT. LG sux.