Potraz yet to decide on BlackBerry Services

light to offer BlackBerry services to their subscribers.
Earlier this year, Econet and Telecel sought approval from the regulatory authority to offer BlackBerry Messenger (BBM) services to their subscribers.
The BlackBerry Messenger Service, which was an instant hit in Europe and the US upon inception, is an instant messaging platform that allows users of the smartphone to privately exchange encrypted messages.
Users with data plans can instantly pass text messages, pictures and other files without incurring charges from their network carrier.
The BBM has, however, been blamed for fuelling protests in the United Kingdom, prompting governments to suspend the platform.
Potraz deputy director-general Mr Alfred Marisa told New Ziana that the authority was yet to decide on the use of BBM in the country.
“To my knowledge, nothing has changed. We have not yet approved applications from Econet and Telecel to offer the services,” he said, without specifying when the authority would decide.
In England, the government requested manufacturers of the BlackBerry gadget, Research In Motion (RIM) to suspend the BBM in the wake of violent protests that rocked that country in August.
Protesters were using BBM to effectively mobilise and plan on spots to pounce on during protests that degenerated into widespread looting.
Several governments have also taken a cue from the British government while working on creating mechanisms to control BBM.
In Zimbabwe, like anywhere else in the world where regulatory authorities have not yet authorised use of the messenger services, the BlackBerry smartphone has been reduced to an ordinary gadget. – New Ziana.