In recent weeks there has been a growing number of threats to ban services associated with the BlackBerry smart business mobile phone, a product of Canada's Research In Motion (RIM).
This is primarily due to its encrypted messaging which has been unbreakable as yet by most government. First the UAE banned its use after the country was publicly embarrassed when its efforts to monitor BlackBerry services were detected and later made public.
Then Saudi Arabia threatened a ban, but later reprieved the company while they worked on a solution together. Most recently, media reports suggest that India, after two years of negotiation, is on the verge of stepping up pressure this week by announcing a deadline for compliance by RIM. If not met, BlackBerry services would also be banned in India. A similar scenario is also ongoing in Indonesia.
It has also been reported, while security experts are alleging that BlackBerry services in Russia, China and USA can be monitored; RIM has publicly stated that claims that it provides greater access to one country over another were unfounded. This unfolding drama has also taken on a greater global perspective with the Canadian government and US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton making representations on behalf of RIM.
Meanwhile, according to Bloomberg, RIM has about 1.2 million subscribers in Indonesia, 1.1 million in India and 1.2 million in the UAE and Saudi Arabia combined. Further, there were a reported 46 million BlackBerry subscribers worldwide as at the end of May 2010.
Considering the growing unrest with the BlackBerry position, the Business Times attempted to search out an industry opinion regarding whether there was a chance of a local ban on smart phones such as BlackBerry, a somewhat popular service offered by local players Dialog and Etisalat. According to local industry sources there are unconfirmed estimates of local BlackBerry user numbers, island-wide, falling below the 10,000 mark.
The product is also still considered a business service locally, even though newer models have been introduced at a much lower price point as well as with greater social and other features, in addition to its famed business service. According to Telecommunications Regulatory Commission (TRC) Director General, Anusha Pelpita, there are no plans to ban BlackBerry services locally.
He noted that there had been no issue brought up as yet regarding BlackBerry services, suggesting that the government perceived no threats to security from encrypted messaging services such as those highlighted in the BlackBerry UAE scenario. He further indicated he could not comment without a specific case presenting itself. Replying to a query on the matter by the Business Times, he also indicated that that no one could access any customer details, BlackBerry or otherwise, without a court order.
Meanwhile, according to Samsung's local Country Manager Shankar Narayan, there are no indications that the Sri Lankan government intended to block any smart phone services.
When contacted by the Business Times, Dialog declined to comment on the matter and instead suggested that queries be made to the TRC, while Etisalat's local chief, Dumindra Ratnayake, who was out of the country and could only comment briefly, indicated tat no plans had been mooted so far to ban BlackBerry services in Sri Lanka. |
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