Business

How Pakistan almost lost the Blackberry service

New evidence contradicts the telecom watchdog's claims.

Express February 12, 2011

KARACHI: Although Pakistan Telecomm-unication Authority (PTA) denies stopping Blackberry services on January 31, evidence suggests that it actually sent letters to mobile phone operating companies asking them to block the services. However, PTA immediately withdrew the order as the news broke and pressure mounted.

A notice, sent to a mobile operator, clearly shows that the regulator restricted cellular companies from offering a slew of Blackberry services in the country because of security concerns.

When The Express Tribune contacted PTA spokesperson, he said that PTA had already responded to the issue and refused to comment further. A PTA press release said that it had not issued any directions to mobile service providers for restricting Blackberry Services. It added that the operators have been advised to continue providing Blackberry services to the users.

However, the recent document reveals that PTA had asked mobile operators to suspend Blackberry Enterprise Server (BES) services in Pakistan. It also asked that services to foreign embassies, missions and high commissions in Pakistan be suspended along with data services to international roamers using Blackberry/push mail-enabled handsets.

The letter said that some mobile operators are flouting PTA’s authority by continuing to offer such Blackberry services. It adds that the companies should ensure compliance and send a compliance report to PTA. BES is the service that connects users to messaging and collaboration software such as Microsoft Exchange on enterprise networks. It redirects emails and synchronises contacts between servers and mobile devices. Typically, a chunk of the data being exchanged is encrypted so that it cannot be read by your inquisitive friends, your curious wife and definitely not your government.

The intervention

An official of the British Embassy said that his blackberry was working and so were the blackberries of all diplomats that he knew. “We do not know if blackberry services were actually suspended.”

Another embassy official said “there were rumours that services will be shut and we were worried because we use our BBs to instantly read our emails and messages.” He said that the embassies had gotten together and intervened, making an arrangement with the government. The arrangement, they said, was supposed to be permanent but that they were unsure if it would continue.

However, an official from another embassy stated “services have been restored to our Blackberries due to what I heard was pressure from mobile operators.” It seems that services were indeed terminated for a little while and then restored.

Not the first government to have a problem

Pakistan’s government is not the first to have an issue with Blackberry services. The same issue had earlier erupted in the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia and India. Apparently, the governments had demanded access to data on Research In Motion’s (RIM) secure enterprise network. This data would have allowed governments to monitor communications over the blackberry network, something they have presumably unable to do due to the encryption used by the company.

But RIM has been sticking to its guns and keeps insisting that it will not provide the data that the government wants. Industry experts said that this also raised the question what other private data the government has access to. They said that this probably means that currently the mobile operators and the PTA did not have the ability to monitor voice and text communication of BlackBerry subscribers.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 13^th, 2011.

COMMENTS (6)

khawaja Raheel | 13 years ago | Reply i used BIS services on my BB. But later on i revoked it because IM and other widgets did not support "BIS". thats completely unfair because other mobile phones like NOKIA, Apple and Android are offering all such facilities without Black berry services, just you need to connect to Internet. PTA must ensure that services which they had blocked over 1 year must give access to those users who are using "BIS" and "BES". otherwise no body is mad to buy BB merely for email synchronize and net browsing. its better to purchase Apple and Nokia smartphones.

Faisal | 13 years ago | Reply What does not make logical sense in all this is that all the services (being blocked in BlackBerry) like GoogleMaps, FaceBook and lots of others like that are easily accessible and available all over Pakistan. You can access them easily on other mobile phones like HTC, or SamSung etc. with Andriod Software. You can access them on the Home/Office Computer. It sounds so funnily rediculous that a policy to Ban something should not be implemented on "One Operator Only".. Obviously it is the prerogative of PTA what to Ban and How long and common citizens do not "know" the reasons and implications.. Understood... but what common citizens do not understand is that WHY Google Maps is accessible anywhere in Pakistan on any Internet Provider EXCEPT for only BlackBerry?? If someone can misuse the data in any attempt to help any act of terrorism by usage of GPS or anyother related application; they can easily do so by getting it on any other MobilePhone in Pakistan - They just have to avoid BlackBerry.. Doesnt this sound funny? BlackBerry users are generally responsible and mature executives and comprise of a significant group who use the phone for serious work related tasks and if that whole group gets the feeling of "being left alone" or "being unheard" in their issues, it can be very disappointing for a significant chunk of citizens of Pakistan who are also a significant contributor in Tax / Revenue for the Government.

VIEW MORE COMMENTS

Habib | 13 years ago | Reply The technology is available to provide users with all the services and in a safe and secure manner while addressing all the govt safety concerns. The problem is that in order for that to happen the PTA and the telecom operators would have to buy state of the art equipment and have good networks to run it over. If you buy cheap crappy equipment you can only expect a similar outcome. In the US services are not limited because the Govt needs to monitor billions of calls etc every minute. They have huge servers that process the info and flag any call/text/email that needs to be looked into. In Pakistan given the level of incompetitence who would run those machines. Definitely not the PTA. They are so outdated in their thinking its appauling. I mean with statements like 3G is already there in Nepal and Sri Lanka. The question is gentlemen why were you sleeping while the rest of these places were building their networks etc.Why do you always compare Pakistan with the bottom of the pile and never the top.

Usman Altaf | 13 years ago | Reply I recently bought blackberry servcies from one of telecommunication companies in Pakistan. They offered me "restricted" blackberry services, and upon questioning I was told, they''ve directions from PTA to provide only Limited Services as "BIS" Basis Internet Services.

umair | 13 years ago | Reply PTA should collabrate with the RIM to chalk out a clear plan as the Indian Government and similar authorities in UAE and Saudia has done, they should not compromise on national security and should not allow any lapse which can be regretted later...

ajawai | 13 years ago | Reply "They said that this probably means that currently the mobile operators and the PTA did not have the ability to monitor voice and text communication of BlackBerry subscribers." Only messages send over PIN are encrypted, regulatory bodies can still monitor voice and SMS.

Replying to X