BlackBerry users suffer more outages

Network operators and users have tweeted that BlackBerry services have not been working since 1100 GMT

BlackBerry users across the globe have been hit with service disruptions to their smartphones for a second day, after an unexplained glitch cut internet and messaging services for many.

Research in Motion Ltd [RIM], which makes BlackBerry devices, acknowledged there were ongoing issues on Tuesday, hours after it said services were operating normally and the issue responsible for delays in subscriber services a day earlier had been resolved.

“Some users in Europe, the Middle East and Africa, India, Brazil, Chile, and Argentina are experiencing messaging and browsing delays,” the company said in a statement, adding that it is “working to restore normal service as quickly as possible”.

RIM also apologised for “any inconvenience,” as Twitter and the internet lit up with condemnation over a delayed response to problems some users had reported for hours.

Network operators and users tweeted that email and BlackBerry Messenger services had not been working since 1100 GMT.

RIM losing market share

In Britain, Vodafone UK told customers via Twitter that BlackBerry service was not fully restored.

Rival T-Mobile UK blamed “a European-wide outage on the BlackBerry network”, which it said was affecting all mobile operators.  It said: “RIM has apologised for the interruption to services and said it’s working to restore normal operations.”

Etisalat, which operates in the United Arab Emirates, apologised for “further interruption” to Blackberry services, “once again due to RIM problems”.

And Kenya’s Safaricom Ltd said on Twitter that its Blackberry customers were experiencing a “technical fault”, while South Africa’s Vodacom told subscribers that the issues were affecting multiple networks and countries.

Angry smartphone users also used Twitter to vent frustration with the company and bemoaned the loss of their messaging capabilities, questioning why the company took so long to restore services.

RIM is increasingly seen as a break-up or takeover target, as it has been losing its status as the corporate email service of choice to other smartphones led by Apple’s iPhone, and after a dismal set of quarterly results last month.