TRA lifts that ban on BlackBerry services which is scheduled to be disabled last October 11, 2010.
Last August 1st, 2010 the Telecommunications Regulatory Authority (TRA) in the UAE issued a statement saying that Blackberry services would be banned in the country on October 11 giving users and operators just over two months to come to some alternative arrangements. Read more on that here.
In a statement issued July 25th, 2010 the TRA said “currently, Blackberry operates beyond the jurisdiction of national legislation, since it is the only device operating in the UAE that immediately exports its data off-shore and is managed by a foreign, commercial organization. As a result of how Blackberry data is managed and stored, in their current form, certain Blackberry applications allow people to misuse the service, causing serious social, judicial and national security repercussions.”
Additionally, the TRA added that the Blackberry suspension will also apply to anyone traveling to or through the country on a roaming agreement. This meant that people with Blackberry simply traveling through the UAE would not be able to use their devices as long as they’re in the country, including at the airports.
Locally, RIM was also affected in other ways as well by the TRA announcement. A press event that was arranged by RIM’s PR agency in the UAE to launch the new Blackberry Pearl 9105 smartphone was cancelled. An email from the PR agency to invited members of the press said the event had been “postponed indefinitely.”
So one must be asking, what’s so special about the BlackBerry? Why is the TRA not suspending iPhone, Nokia, Samsung, Motorola and smartphones made by other manufacturers? The reason is pretty simple: because it’s only Blackberry that uses its own infrastructure to send and receive data, all the other uses the same public Internet infrastructure without being tied to servers of their own. TRA confirmed this: “Blackberry data services are currently the only data services operating in the UAE where this is the case.”
Days after the announcement, telecom operators du and Etisalat announced packages that would replace existing BlackBerry plans once the ban is in effect. The alternative plans presented by du and Etisalat were met with largely positive views from customers. Some said that they saw this as a chance to upgrade to a new smartphone while others had concerns about how they would now keep in touch with friends and family they chat with using Blackberry Messenger.
However, what disappointed many customers were the low limits for international data (10MB per month on Etisalat, 20MB on du). For many, the main allure of getting a Blackberry in the UAE was the unlimited data plans, which were only Dhs 260 per month on du and Dhs 295 on Etisalat.
Soon after, news of other countries started to follow suit – Saudi Arabia, India and even on some GCC countries. The ban though was never implemented, citing an ‘agreement’ between RIM (Research In Motion) and the operators.
A news announcement on October 8,2010 from the TRA confirmed that the ban will not continue citing that “…Blackberry services are now compliant with the UAE’s telecommunications regulatory framework.” Read more on the statement here.
The BlackBerry Torch 9800 now features a touch screen along with a sliding QWERTY keyboard.
GITEX Shopper 2010, which happened last October 16 – 23 also saw the launch of the new BlackBerry smartphones in the UAE: The BlackBerry Storm 9800, BlackBerry Curve 9300 and the BlackBerry Pearl 3G 9105. Also, Research In Motion co-chief executive Jim Balsillie was present last GITEX Technology Week 2010 and shared his insights on the mobile industry in the Middle East and provided an update on the latest BlackBerry product developments, including the new BlackBerry tablet, the PlayBook.
Rest assured, BlackBerry users can now breathe a sigh of relief knowing that their beloved mobile phone can continue its purpose here in the UAE.
Last August 1st, 2010 the Telecommunications Regulatory Authority (TRA) in the UAE issued a statement saying that Blackberry services would be banned in the country on October 11 giving users and operators just over two months to come to some alternative arrangements. Read more on that here: http://www.tra.gov.ae/news_TRA_Announces_the_Suspension_of_Blackberry_Messenger%2C_Blackberry_E_mail_and_Blackberry_Web_Browsing_Services_in_the_UAE_from_October_11%2C_2010-180-4.php
In a statement issued July 25th, 2010 the TRA said “currently, Blackberry operates beyond the jurisdiction of national legislation, since it is the only device operating in the UAE that immediately exports its data off-shore and is managed by a foreign, commercial organization. As a result of how Blackberry data is managed and stored, in their current form, certain Blackberry applications allow people to misuse the service, causing serious social, judicial and national security repercussions.”
Additionally, the TRA added that the Blackberry suspension will also apply to anyone traveling to or through the country on a roaming agreement. This meant that people with Blackberry simply traveling through the UAE would not be able to use their devices as long as they’re in the country, including at the airports.
Locally, RIM was also affected in other ways as well by the TRA announcement. A press event that was arranged by RIM’s PR agency in the UAE to launch the new Blackberry Pearl 9105 smartphone was cancelled. An email from the PR agency to invited members of the press said the event had been “postponed indefinitely.”
So one must be asking, what’s so special about the BlackBerry? Why is the TRA not suspending iPhone, Nokia, Samsung, Motorola and smartphones made by other manufacturers? The reason is pretty simple: because it’s only Blackberry that uses its own infrastructure to send and receive data, all the other uses the same public Internet infrastructure without being tied to servers of their own. TRA confirmed this: “Blackberry data services are currently the only data services operating in the UAE where this is the case.”
Days after the announcement, telecom operators du and Etisalat announced packages that would replace existing BlackBerry plans once the ban is in effect. The alternative plans presented by du and Etisalat were met with largely positive views from customers. Some said that they saw this as a chance to upgrade to a new smartphone while others had concerns about how they would now keep in touch with friends and family they chat with using Blackberry Messenger.
However, what disappointed many customers were the low limits for international data (10MB per month on Etisalat, 20MB on du). For many, the main allure of getting a Blackberry in the UAE was the unlimited data plans, which were only Dhs 260 per month on du and Dhs 295 on Etisalat.
Soon after, news of other countries started to follow suit – Saudi Arabia, India and even on some GCC countries. The ban though was never implemented, citing an ‘agreement’ between RIM (Research In Motion) and the operators.
A news announcement on October 8,2010 from the TRA confirmed that the ban will not continue citing that “…Blackberry services are now compliant with the UAE’s telecommunications regulatory framework.” Read more on the statement here: http://www.tra.gov.ae/news_Important_Announcement-199-1.php
GITEX Shopper 2010, which happened last October 16 – 23 also saw the launch of the new BlackBerry smartphones in the UAE: The BlackBerry Storm 9800, BlackBerry Curve 9300 and the BlackBerry Pearl 3G 9105. Also, Research In Motion co-chief executive Jim Balsillie was present last GITEX Technology Week 2010 and shared his insights on the mobile industry in the Middle East and provided an update on the latest BlackBerry product developments, including the new BlackBerry tablet, the PlayBook.
Rest assured, BlackBerry users can now breathe a sigh of relief knowing that their beloved mobile phone can continue its purpose here in the UAE.
