Janeman Latul

The government said on Friday that it was standing by its “final warning” to Canada-based Research In Motion to establish a local after-sales service network for BlackBerry phones by July 15. (Photo: SP)

RIM Facing July 15 Deadline To Avoid Total BlackBerry Ban

Despite the public’s seemingly insatiable appetite for BlackBerrys, the government said on Friday that it was standing by its July 1 “final warning” to Canada-based Research In Motion to establish a local after-sales service network by July 15 or face a ban that could see a BlackBerry famine after existing stocks run out.

In what is fast developing into a classic example of cross purposes, the warning was never sent directly to RIM, but only to BlackBerry operators and importers.

“RIM’s representative asked us to clarify our [warning] letter of July 1 to BlackBerry operators and importers, which gave them 15 days to establish after-sales offices or face a total licensing ban,” said Gatot S. Dewabroto, a Communication and Information Technology Ministry spokesman. “So, we talked [on Friday] to Jason Seunderson, RIM’s Asia Pacific government relations representative, along with Ross Miller, the Canadian Embassy’s trade attache and their legal advisors. But the outcome of the meeting was not satisfactory.”

“The government wants action, not just promises,” Gatot said, adding that RIM was unwilling to even confirm it would conduct a feasibility study, let alone set up a service office.

In early June, the ministry announced that it had stopped issuing licences for new BlackBerry models due to the lack of a service network, which must be established under a 2008 ministerial decree on the IT sector. No license means that no phones can be imported or sold.

Officials say that they had discussed the matter with RIM’s vice president, Robert E. Crow, on June 15, but the company only said it would consider conducting a feasibility study.

On June 29, the ministry said that it might extend the ban to all BlackBerry versions if RIM failed to comply.

BlackBerry first entered Indonesia in 2004 through a licensing arrangement with telecommunications operator PT Indosat.

The Trade Ministry is also upset at RIM, pointing to a ministerial decree that requires products to be accompanied by an Indonesian-language operating manual and the establishment of a minimum of six service centers. Neither of those requirements have been met by RIM.

Following the escalation of the spat, the Canadian Embassy took up the cudgels on behalf of RIM, with three meetings taking place last month.

“The embassy is monitoring developments closely,” Ryan Ward, Canada’s trade commissioner to Indonesia, told the Jakarta Globe by e-mail on Thursday. “And we are working to ensure that various issues of concern are resolved in a fair and timely manner.”

While many might question the government’s newfound zeal given that the Communication Ministry’s decree was issued last year, Gatot insisted the move was necessary to protect the nation’s BlackBerry customers.

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