Developing Telecoms | Nokia and RIM face India ban following government demand to monitor email traffic

23 May 2012

Industry News

LATEST NEWS:

100G technology makes its debut in Central America Free conference calling now available in Israel Internet-free mobile Facebook, email and online chat apps platform launches... Indian telco giant taking steps into Brazil Green power solutions provider spreads into South Asia Cable agreement to bolster international connectivity in Iraq Lat Am giant looks to Netherlands to boost European footprint CSP unifying mediation systems across four Central American countries Thai operator secures wireless distribution agreement Financial services project reaching out to millions of Africans Fibre investment on the way in Algeria Android tablets gaining popularity in Southeast Asia Bharti seeking JV takeover as profits slide How an Alternative Approach to SIM Card Provisioning Helps Operators Cure t... Solar-powered learning initiative takes off in Uganda GSMA voices criticism of Indian licensing proposals Enhanced mobile broadband deploying across three Baltic countries Market developments lay the foundation for future growth in Iraq India Feels More Shockwaves from the So-called ‘2G Scandal' Overpriced broadband faces fibre challenge in Angola First commercial 4G services go live in Croatia VimpelCom sells Vietnamese assets TRAI advocates new operators entering 2G auctions Romania’s first MVNE launching imminently Indian tax change could provoke legal action from Vodafone Mobile growth slows in Iran as penetration reaches saturation point Thailand close to finalising 3G auction process Internet Exchange Points Spur Internet Growth in Emerging Markets Incoming fibre boosts investment prospects for Burundi 3G on the way in Djibouti, but competition is required Fibre, not privatisation, could be the answer for Africa’s fixed-line opera... Saudi incumbent looks abroad amidst heated domestic competition Orascom serves Algerian government with arbitration notice

Nokia and RIM face India ban following government demand to monitor email traffic

Wednesday, 27 April 2011 16:38 | James Barton

Attention: open in a new window.

India’s telecom authorities have reportedly been instructed to ban operators from offering Nokia’s push email services until a system for monitoring its data has been established. The country’s Ministry of Home Affairs has asked that the Department of Telecom instruct “Telecom Service Providers not to launch Nokia's proposed pushmail/powermail service without putting in place monitoring facilities.”

India represents a key market for Nokia, so a ban on its services would be a severe blow. A large number of its devices – including around half of its popular E Series business phones – are compatible with the push email service. Devices with the service enabled allow users to access multiple email accounts with several clients, including Gmail, Yahoo and Sify.

Nokia maintains that local security agencies in India are able to keep check on its enterprise email services via servers that it has established. The country’s authorities are moving to shut down any telecommunications services that they cannot access in order to scrutinise.

Following a similar situation in the UAE, RIM’s BlackBerry services have also been threatened with suspension. Designed to freeze out third party interference, the firm claims that its encrypted servers are extremely difficult to intercept – even for itself. Despite this, the Indian government has demanded a solution allowing them to access the servers, although the deadline for the provision of such a solution was March 31 and the issue remains unresolved.

India’s departments of telecoms and IT are set to expand the legal definition of telecom and internet services following a request from the country’s home ministry. Once this legislation has been overhauled, operators will be obliged to intercept server traffic at the request of national security agencies, providing details such as telephone numbers, email addresses, IP addresses and device registrations.

Add this page to your favorite Social Bookmarking websites