UAE restricts BlackBerry use by individuals, small firms

The UAE government has restricted the use of BlackBerry smart phones to businesses with 20 or more mobile subscriptions, thereby denying individuals and small firms access to its highly-secure messaging service, reports citing a ruling by UAE's telecommunications regulator said today.

The new ruling, however, allows small businesses to use BlackBerry internet service sans private servers and encrypted messaging, The National newspaper said in a report published today.

The restriction, which comes months after UAE dropped plans to bar BlackBerry over its high-security messaging service, seems to be intended to prevent individuals from accessing social media networks that are blamed for the current civil unrest in the Middle East and Africa.

Under the new ruling, only businesses with 20 or more subscriptions will be allowed to use the high-secure corporate e-mil accounts on the BlackBerry Enterprise Server, The National reported.

The civil unrest organised by social media, meanwhile, has affected most Arab and North African states except perhaps the UAE and Qatar.

Research In Motion, maker of BlackBerry smart phones, uses an encrypted code for sending messages through the BlackBerry Enterprise Server.

"Enterprise Services are to be made available to qualifying organisations only and not to private individuals," the paper quoted the Telcommunications Regulatory Authority as saying. The ruling would come into force on 1 May, the report said.