3GWeek - Asia’s Mobile News

Are they ready for this Pearl?

I think this is a shocking news for me. For as long as two months being a mobile phone blogger in 3GWeek, I’ve just knew that such a high-tech country like South Korea has banned RIM’s Blackberry device in their region. What is this? A nationality issue again?

Fortunately it isn’t. South Korea had embargoed Blackberry since this gadget is not fit with their rule in wireless software platform issue. Same reason that make other big boys like Nokia and Apple are afraid to enter this very competitive tech region. RIM use their own proprietary Blackberry OS while South Korean have the same practice with their WIPI (Wireless Internet Platform for Interoperability). But since todays, this rule has been changed.

AFP wrote:

Officials of the Ministry of Knowledge Economy and the Korea Communications Commission said they would no longer apply software rules governing cellphones to the BlackBerry.

This is a nice move by SK government. Anyway, this rule apply only for corporation but not to individuals. But why? Perhaps I can help you here. Well, this is not those South Korean themself who excessively in need with this gizmo yet those expatriates or foreign investors. They seems to request Blackberry-availability as a condition for their investments here. Hmmm, Lazaridis must be proud about this.

For those who want to enjoy Blackberry in South Korea, they need to wait for it till August this year. With SK Telecom inside of course!

Source: AFP

Image courtesy of Into Mobile