8:45 AM RIM's services to be suspended in October

Michelle Donegan

August 2, 2010

1 Min Read
BlackBerry Jam in UAE

8:45 AM -- BlackBerry 's BlackBerry service is in a bit of a jam in the United Arab Emirates over national security concerns.

The country's regulator, the Telecommunications Regulatory Authority , announced today that RIM's BlackBerry messenger, email, and Web browsing services will be suspended from October 11, due to "non-compliance with the regulatory requirements" in the county.

The non-compliance issue lies in the way RIM processes communications data, which is via network operations centers around the world. Because the servers are not located in the country, the UAE regulator is concerned that it will not be able to get access to that data if and when it needs to for criminal or national security investigations.

It's not the first time RIM has run into this kind of problem. Authorities in China, India, and Kuwait have also reportedly asked the Canadian firm for easier access to its electronic communications data.

— Michelle Donegan, European Editor, Light Reading Mobile

About the Author(s)

Michelle Donegan

Michelle Donegan is an independent technology writer who has covered the communications industry for the last 20 years on both sides of the Pond. Her career began in Chicago in 1993 when Telephony magazine launched an international title, aptly named Global Telephony. Since then, she has upped sticks (as they say) to the UK and has written for various publications including Communications Week International, Total Telecom and, most recently, Light Reading.  

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