New Delhi: In a latest development in the Blackberry case, the Department of Telecom (DoT) has asked Research In Motion (RIM), the company that offers Blackberry technology, to look at the possibility of setting up a server in India.
Government feels that this will enable security agencies to monitor e-mails sent by Blackberry users.
However, DoT sources clarify that no ultimatum has been given yet. Industry sources say setting up a server in India is one of the solutions that can be considered.
Blackberry service providers, RIM officials and DoT officials met in the Capital on Friday to break the deadlock.
DoT has said that Blackberry to Blackberry traffic needs to be monitored. DoT has given a clean chit to data being sent from a Blackberry device to another device or through the Internet as this can be decrypted by the security agencies without getting the codes from RIM.
Earlier, the Government issued a stern warning to telecom companies to put the required security system in place or stop the services.
Currently, Bharti Airtel, Vodafone-Essar, BPL Mobile and Reliance Communications are offering this premium service. According to sources, most of the high-end users of these companies have shifted to Blackberry services.
The controversy over Blackberry service came to public after Tata Teleservices was denied the permission to offer this value-added services by the Ministry of Home Affairs saying there was no provision of lawful interception in the services.
Tatas had said that there should be a level playing field.
Sources in the DoT said that Tata's application for permission to launch Blackberry services was still pending and may not be cleared till the matter was resolved. It also pointed out that DoT must verify whether the existing service providers took government's permission to start services or they started on their own. There should be a proper investigation in the entire matter.
(With agency inputs)
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