The Department of Telecommunications (DoT) is examining various kinds of messenger services and has not set any deadline for operators to give the interception solution for BlackBerry enterprise services.
“We are in discussions with the home ministry separately, so it will be between the two departments to do whatever is necessary for interception,” Telecom Secretary R Chandrasekhar said.
When asked about the deadline for operators to give the interception solution, Chandrasekhar said the department had not fixed any such deadline.
“...a separate set of discussions are going on not just on the BlackBerry but on various kinds of messengers services, various kinds of communications with reference to amenability to interception and that is being addressed and we will take a view on whole class,” Chandrasekhar said.
Research In Motion (RIM), the makers of BlackBerry smartphones, has maintained that the company cannot provide access to the its BlackBerry enterprise services as it does not possess any key.
The company has already given a full solution for interception of its BlackBerry messenger services in January. RIM had earlier given a manual solution for monitoring messenger services. There are over one million BlackBerry subscribers in India.
The home ministry has asked DoT to ensure that all telecom operators submit by the end of this month their plans on when they can provide access to all services, including BlackBerry enterprise services.
