Again with the network-shutdown threats. Indian government officials have again threatened to flip the off-switch on RIM’s BlackBerry network in India if RIM doesn’t hand over backdoor access to its encrypted email network.
India’s Department of Telecom has given RIM a 15-day ultimatum – “open up your encrypted network to our spooks or say bye-bye to your BlackBerry hopes in India.” After previous reports that the Indian government and RIM were working things out and that a BlackBerry ban was no longer a threat, India’s DoT has flipped an about-face and is making the prospect of a CrackBerry-free India a serious possibility.
Apparently, Telecom Minister A Raja isn’t willing to risk national security just to give a few (hundred thousand) BlackBerry users access to push email.
This could be bad news for RIM. They either have to give in and risk their integrity or they lose the burgeoning Indian BlackBerry market indefinitely. We’ll keep a close eye on these happenings…
[Via: Financial Post]