BlackBerry said today it had partially restored service after a technical error yesterday left many thousands of its UAE customers unable to send messages.
E-mail is now working, but the smartphone company said there were still delays to internet and messaging features.
MORE ABOUT BLACKBERRY SERVICES
BlackBerry service disrupted in UAE, Europe, Africa Research in Motion said inability to send e-mails and messages was caused by unspecified 'network issues'. Read article
Middle East bears fruit for BlackBerry BlackBerry maker reports 140 per cent growth in subscribers in the Middle East, despite flagging sales globally, and says it intends to expand. Read article
Internet and BlackBerry crimes rise More people are reporting instances of BlackBerry phones being hacked. Read article
A major technical fault yesterday led to a collapse in BlackBerry service across the Middle East, Europe and Africa.
Many UAE residents complained they could not use e-mail, internet or the BlackBerry Messenger service.
The smartphone brand said that despite the fix, some services may still be running slowly.
"We can confirm that BlackBerry e-mail services have been restored," Research In Motion, which makes the BlackBerry handset, said in a statement today. "Some customers may continue to experience delays with instant messaging and browsing services, and our technical teams are working to return services to normal operation as quickly as possible."
BlackBerry is one of the most popular smartphone brands in the region.
Jim Balsillie, the co-chief executive of RIM, said yesterday that there had been a 140 per cent increase in BlackBerry subscribers in the Middle East in the year up to August.
The executive was speaking at the Gitex Technology Week in Dubai.
bflanagan@thenational.ae
