RIM Agrees to Give India Access to Networks

WASHINGTON, August 19, 2010 - India is the latest nation to require Research in Motion to provide a government with access to the traffic across the RIM network. The nation gave the Canadian phone maker until the end of the month to comply with a request for access to its network. RIM has acquiesced and beginning Sept. 1 will give India access to the BlackBerry messenger service.

India wants access to be able to monitor the secure networks for information related to potential terrorist attacks.

“In terms of our issues of national security, any responsible government would not want to compromise. I don't think what we are asking is out of the ordinary vis-à-vis other countries” said Communications Minister Sachin Pilot.

India has one of the world’s largest mobile phone markets with nearly 1.1 million BlackBerry users.

RIM issued the following statement: “Although RIM cannot disclose confidential regulatory discussions that take place with any government, RIM assures its customers that it genuinely tries to be as cooperative as possible with governments in the spirit of supporting legal and national security requirements, while also preserving the lawful needs of citizens and corporations,”