Blackberry services to be discontinued in India?

[madhusudhan7]

A little off topic maybe but does someone know how to tether from Vodafone Blackberry internet service plan(BIS) ?

I guess i've overpaid for BB services when i could have got a much cheaper plan 'mobile internet plan' from other providers or Vodafone itself but still being denied access to internet on computers like you could in Vodafone Mobile Connect. I did try Tether BlackBerry | BlackBerry Modem | Tether & sharkmodem - was even ready to pay for their application but it does not seem to work with Vodafone in india.
Guess i didn't have much of a choice after i bought BB - most of the BB Storm 2 applications wouldn't work without BIS

Not that Mobile internet access on computers is very important for me but i can do away with my spare BSNL 3g sim that i carry around just in case i need to access internet on the Go

---------- Post added at 03:23 PM ---------- Previous post was at 03:18 PM ----------

Also in recent news from one of my friend in Assam/Kolkatta i got to know that Airtel offers internet access on computers as well in their Blackberry internet service - Is this only in North/East india or does it apply in south India as well ?
The price however for both Airtel & Vodafone corporate is the same - Rs.899 montly or around 8k annual package

P.S: If someone is bothered with this off topic discussion, please let me know & i shall move it to another section - Just could not find the right place in the forum to discuss this otherwise

 

[shouvik]

hiI acquire a independent blackberry phone (means i can use any provider with it, Airtel, vodaphone, idea etc). So after the Blackberry services are discontinued in India, will I not be able to make and receive calls as well??Thanks

 

[Sushubh]

you guys really believe that blackberry services would shut down in india? seriously? all the corporate houses are very dependent upon blackberry. they are going to be crippled. the point is... as a regular customer you have nothing to worry about. there are giants up there who are going to make sure that RIM would bow down to Indian government's demand and everything would work fine. its not like indian government has a competing standard in place and they want to throw out RIM (like China likes to do business TD-LTE being a good example).

 

[warthog]

See the govt is over its ego.for many years the IB has the power to tap comms without any order,oversight.Now these encryption services have come the govt cannot digest that we cannot tap the people's phone.
In western countries they have the right against unreasonable search and seizure(usa 4th amendment,even though the nsa is violating it and is tapping all comms:see hepting vs at&t ).In India we have a privilege under Indian evidence act and criminal procedure code.The IT act 2008 gave govt fiat power to tap all coms violating SC judgment of 1996 which state only in national emergency you can tap or immediate public danger.
Blackberry said that only through judiciary we will follow and that with a court order.(this is how it should be done and is done in USA),you need probable cause to tap someones phone and not mere reasonable suspicion.

next is skype,to ban skype is to ban p2p protocol and its over for torrent then and next is banning gmail.Does the govt know how many countless encryption services exist.They cannot ban all, they need to adapt and respect privacy and enact privacy laws,give right against unreasonable search and seizure and follow court orders to tap.

The govt's ego is eating itself up.they cannot realize that individuals in this country are having privacy.
I see comments in toi site praising govt plan to ban blackberry.

Its sad state of affairs..I hope the govt understands that in a democratic country you cannot violate privacy for the sake of security.
freedom cannot be traded.these are unalienable rights which was there before govts existed and given by god.
Read the US declaration of independence.what a power document it is

"We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness."

canada where blackberry is located has fundamental right against warrantless wiretapping

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Section Eight of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

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whereas our fundamental rights dont provide this.It was debated during the constituent assembly known as right to secrecy of communications but was voted down including right to bear arms

we are celebrating 63rd anniversary of our Independence to be dependent on govt and let the govt spy on all.
when history repeats itself do we notice?

---------- Post added at 02:33 PM ---------- Previous post was at 02:26 PM ----------

here
http://parliamentofindia.nic.in/ls/debates/vol7p17a.htm
13. Subject to public order or morality the citizens are guaranteed-- (a) freedom of speech and expression;
(b) freedom of the press;
(c) freedom to form association or unions;
(d) freedom to assemble peaceably and without arms;
(e) secrecy of postal, telegraphic and telephonic communications.

---------- Post added at 03:03 PM ---------- Previous post was at 02:33 PM ----------

and dont you dare tell me that for national security we need to curtail freedom.200 yrs ago benjamin frankin said this :"those who give liberty for security neither deserve liberty nor security".

---------- Post added at 03:06 PM ---------- Previous post was at 03:03 PM ----------

https://broadband.forum/net-neutrality/52172-intelligence-bureau-wants-voip-services/

---------- Post added at 03:13 PM ---------- Previous post was at 03:06 PM ----------

poor IB doesnt even know that skype has been cracked
New malware listens to Skype calls | ITworld

someone should tell them.Maybe they will not ban skype and do warrantless tapping.

---------- Post added at 03:22 PM ---------- Previous post was at 03:13 PM ----------

RIM to allow India legal monitoring of Blackberry data - India - The Times of India

this is how it should be done
"The only time it allows carriers to access the data sent via BlackBerry devices is in the case of national security situations, and even then, only as governed by the country's judicial oversight and rules of law," the Canada-based Research In Motion (RIM) said in a statement on Thursday.


only via court order via a judge phone tapping should be done if probable cause exist and not mere suspicion.

the govt is not honest.
Govt examining phone-tapping issue - India - The Times of India
they can tap phone via fiat and this has to be stopped.this is the only way out.
enact right against unreasonable search and seizure and privacy as a fundamental right.

 

[warthog]

Cracking the BlackBerry - Yahoo! India News

what a wonderful article!.what will the govt do?ban all services
There is a third service that is potentially even more dangerous from a law enforcement perspective — BlackBerry Messenger. Anyone who has a BlackBerry device can share their PIN with any other BlackBerry owner and send messages between their respective devices instantly and without charge. This extremely popular application has a huge following in the Blackberry universe, but since it enables instant messaging, has real time implications for law enforcement.
There is little doubt that the fears of Indian law enforcement agencies are well founded. But practically, is there anything one can do about it?
The BlackBerry service provides an encrypted solution that protects customer emails without the need for customers to implement complex settings. However, encryption technology, of the high level used by the BlackBerry service, is not the exclusive preserve of RIM. Anyone with even moderate computer skills would be able to implement the same level of encryption to cloak email passing between personal computers or other mobile devices. It will be relatively easy for a terrorist armed with such devices and using the normal 3G or GPRS data connectivity to ensure that their messages are impossible to read, even if intercepted. What then will the government do next — ban all connected mobile devices? While there is every need to be vigilant and to constantly evolve our defences, we must be rational and measured in our reactions. There is a fine line between precaution and paranoia.






implement privacy act and fundamental right against unreasonable search and seizure

 

[warthog]

Install server or close messenger, govt tells BlackBerry - India Business - Business - The Times of India

i hope blackberry just leaves and gives the finger to the govt.the era of warrantless tapping has to end.whats next, order google to install a server then skype.

It would be a sad day if blackberry caves in.I see numerous comments that usa is allowed then why not India.Fools in western democracies you need a warrant from a judge if there is probable cause and not just merely for suspicion.

The mumbai high court removed fiat tapping from MCOCA but the supreme court stayed it.THe IT act 2008 makes tapping even more easy for the govt.There are no checks and balances.

 

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[SVK]

hi

I acquire a independent blackberry phone (means i can use any provider with it, Airtel, vodaphone, idea etc).

So after the Blackberry services are discontinued in India, will I not be able to make and receive calls as well??


Thanks
If concern is just about making/receiving calls, then it should not be a problem. It would function normally. But then whats use of Blackberry?
Blackberry's main feature is its messenger & email, which is point of trouble, and some solution would surely come out in continuation of these services.

 

[Sushubh]

you might be dreaming that US government would not have a backdoor access to blackberry communications. they are way too powerful and blackberry is way too successful in the US market for that to not happen.

 

[warthog]

and you must also realise that blackberry original jurisdiction is in Canada and canadian laws.

here nsa having a tough time cracking skype.they dont say ban it,O i guess due do thier first amendment
NSA offering 'billions' for Skype eavesdrop solution ? The Register
Expert: Skype calls nearly impossible for NSA to intercept | ZDNet

unless and until warrant tapping is introduced with US equivalent of the 4th amendment and a privacy law ,India would cannot called a democracy but a hybrid regime.

democracy doesn't mean right to vote even though the definition is tyranny of majority but to be accepted as a soo called democracy(our real definition is a democratic republic) the govt has to respect human rights.

 

[Sushubh]

NSA is a very secretive organization and you are unlikely to hear news about any of the deals they might have with any of the telecom players in the world. it is a much talked about fact that all telecom companies in USA play by their rules and they have their representatives working for all relevant agencies in the world. it's the freaking USA. they do what they want to do and you and me can do nothing about it.