BLACKBERRY URGED TO SET UP DATA CENTER

By Andi Abdussalam

Jakarta, Aug 7 (ANTARA) - The Indonesian government has repeated its call on the Canadian firm Research In Motion Ltd (RIM) to set up in Indonesia a data center which would enable it to monitor the communications of suspected criminals via their  BlackBerry smartphones .          "If RIM does not set up a data center in Indonesia it would be difficult for law enforcement officers to track  crime-related commuications  through BlackBerry hand pones," Informatics and Communications Minister Tifatul Sembiring said in Magelang, Central Java, on Saturday.          However, the Indonesian government has not yet received any response from RIM on its request to set up a data center in the country.  "We have so far not received any response but we continue to communicate with them and I think they are still processing it," Minister Tifatul Sembiring said.           Indonesia made the request  amid reports that the United Arab Emirates (UAE) had recently blocked BlackBerry e-mail, Internet and messaging services.  India and Saudi Arabia have announced they might take the same steps and impose  bans of their own.          Unlike rivals Nokia, Samsung and Apple's iPhone, RIM controls its own networks which handle encrypted messages through centers in Canada and the UK.          This has made the BlackBerry and its messenger application highly popular as a secure way to communicate, but has also worried governments, who are not able to tap into the network.          Thus, there was speculation that Indonesia would follow the UAE's step in blocking the BlackBerry internet access, though the government was quick to deny it.          An official from the Indonesian Telecommunications Regulatory Body (BRTI), an independent regulator, was quoted as saying by the Jakarta Post on Wednesday that such a ban was being considered.          Telematics expert Roy Suryo said there was no need for the  Indonesian government to ban or restrict the use of BlackBerry hand phones as the United Arab Emirates and other Middle East countries had done.          "There is no need for the government to block it. Instead, it should  create conditions that enable users to take careful and anticipatory measures with regard to the possibility of certain people using BlackBerry as a device for negative acts," Roy Suryo said.          Roy Suryo,  who is also a member of the House of Representatives (DPR)'s  Commission I for information affairs, said there were many laws that could be used by the government to supervise, control and tighten the use of BlackBerry hand phones in the country.          He said the government could reinforce its intelligence technology to carry out supervision. It should not create unrest among users.       "The government should not create unrest among BlackBerry users but increase the functions of its intelligence technology," he said.          The government should increase the number of BlackBerry users to increase state income. "The number of BlackBerry users in Indonesia at present is 1.3 million. This should be increased in order to strengthen our bargaining position. If our bargaining position is strong we will have significant power to urge RIM to set  up a data center in Indonesia," Roy Suryo said.          On Wednesday, an official  from the BRTI said a ban was being considered after India and Saudi Arabia announced they might take steps similar to the UAE and issue  bans of their own.           Minister Tifatul Sembirirng however was quick to clear up the misunderstanding, saying that Indonesia had merely demanded that RIM provide a data center in Jakarta.          "There is no plan for a ban. We're not going to follow the UAE regarding BlackBerrys," Tifatul Sembiring said.          He said that Indonesia had asked RIM to set up a data center but so far RIM  had not yet responded to the request. The minister said that based on Law No. 11 / 2008 on Information and Electronics Transactions, each telecommunication operator in Indonesia is required to set up a data center.          He said that international banks which had opened services in Indonesia were also required to establish a data center because it was needed in investigations into corruption cases.          "Indonesia will face difficulties to investigate an alleged corruption case if international banks do not have data centers in the country. If data centers are available, law enforcers can carry out legal intervention," the minister said.          He said that his ministry had written to BlackBerry about its obligation to set up a server in Indonesia because it was also operating in Indonesia.          Besides, he said, the establishment of a data center would enable Indonesia to earn an income from non-tax revenue (PNBP) source.          "We have asked BlackBerry to establish a server in Indonesia, or otherwise, Indonesia will not be able to obtain PNBP income. So far, they only use Indonesians to reap profits," the minister said. ***5*** (T.A014/A/HAJM/21:00/H-YH)07-08-2010 21:07: