RIM negotiations with TRA in UAE remain inconclusive

Talks between the UAE’s Telecommunications Regulatory Authority (TRA) and Research In Motion (RIM) regarding the state being given access to data being transmitted over BlackBerry devices remain inconclusive at this point in time. It is less than a month until BlackBerry services are set to be suspended in the UAE should a compromise not be reached.

As such, domestic telcos Du and Etisalat are reported to be continuing with their activities to develop alternative messaging and online services for corporates to utilise should BlackBerry services become unavailable.

On August 1 the TRA confirmed that BlackBerry Messenger, BlackBerry E-mail and BlackBerry web-browsing services in the UAE would be suspended as of October 11 give the failure of attempts, dating back to 2007, to bring BlackBerry services in the UAE in line with UAE telecommunications regulations.

RIM faced similar threats in India and Saudi Arabia in the past couple of months; and in each market was able to prevent the suspension of its services. It had been expected that the Canadian company would be able to negotiate a similar stay of execution in the UAE.