**** I bought a new Blackberry 9700 yesterday WTF?! askdhjalfhjasncjlknacnasocijasiojcacas The Telecommunications Regulatory Authority has said that BlackBerry Messenger, BlackBerry E-mail and BlackBerry Web-browsing services in the UAE will be suspended as of October 11. The suspension is a result of the failure of ongoing attempts, dating back to 2007, to bring BlackBerry services in the UAE in line with UAE telecommunications regulations. Both telecommunications operators, Etisalat and du,were informed of the decision earlier today. The notification was delivered with an instruction to ensure minimal consumer disruption in the provision of alternative services. Etisalat has sent a text to its BlackBerry users explaining the situation. The messages read: "Dear valued customer, the UAE's Telecommunications Regulatory Authority has decided to suspend BlackBerry services from Oct 11, 2010. In accordance with this decision Etisalat will soon announce alternative mobility products and services. Please visit www.etisalat.ae/blackberry for further information and updates." Shortly after the announcement, Etisalat issued the following statement: "This is an important decision made by the Regulatory Authority and we fully understand the legal and social considerations behind the decision. "Etisalat has an obligation to act within the law and the regulations of the TRA, while at the same time, providing our customers with the best service. Etisalat has a significant share of customers in the UAE for its mobility services, including BlackBerry customers and hence it is very important for us to ensure our customers enjoy continuity of services. "Etisalat's focus at the current time is to make sure its valued customers experience continuity of mobility services. In line with its commitment towards its customers, Etisalat will soon be announcing a range of alternative mobility products and services for its existing BlackBerry customers." Du said it would 'fully comply' with the TRA's move. The UAE's number two telecoms provider said in a statement: "Since a number of du customers are BlackBerry subscribers, du will ensure that it provides all its affected customers with an alternative solution that meets their needs with minimal disruption to their services. "In the coming days du will be making an announcement on the full plan and shall inform all customers on the implementation of this alternative plan." All BlackBerry services fall within the UAE regulatory framework developed by the TRA since 2007, however because of BlackBerry's technical configuration, some BlackBerry services operate beyond the enforcement of these regulations, the TRA stated. BlackBerry data is immediately exported offshore, where it is managed by a foreign, commercial organisation. BlackBerry data services are currently the only data services operating in the UAE where this is the case. Today's decision is based on the fact that, in their current form, certain BlackBerry services allow users to act without any legal accountability, causing judicial, social and national security concerns for the UAE. Commenting on the announcement, the TRA director general Mohamed Al Ghanim said: "With no solution available and in the public interest, in order to affect resolution of this issue, as of October 11, 2010, BlackBerry Messenger, BlackBerry Email and BlackBerry Web-browsing services will be suspended until an acceptable solution can be developed and applied." "We informed both Etisalat and du that providing the option of alternative services to ensure the continuity of service from October 11 to its subscribers - both individuals and organisations - is the most important priority." Mr Al Ghanim added. Mr Al Ghanim said, "The TRA notes that BlackBerry appears to be compliant in similar regulatory environments of other countries, which makes non-compliance in the UAE both disappointing and of great concern." * WAM Code: http://thenational.ae/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20100801/BUSINESS/100809997/1001
awww... sorry to hear that hun. geez! you spent money to buy for something that'll be banned on your counrty/location. What are you gonna do on that phone when it implement?
woah that sucks .. i got hooked on my blackberry after 1 day .. to be honest .. without Internet blackberry is nothing lol xD,,
Good news is that if they do ban it, my brother is flying down from England and I've asked him to swap his iPhone 3Gs with me, that'd be awesome. So I'm quite upset and happy at the same time. I don't want RIM to give in to the demands of this spying and want-to-be-in-control ISP of ours.
