Blackberry ban threat lifted

THE United Arab Emirates has backed off a threat to cut key BlackBerry services, just days before a ban was set to take effect that could have harmed the country’s business-friendly reputation.

The decision ended more than two months of brinksmanship with the Canadian company that makes the smart phones.

The Emirates telecommunications regulator confirmed that a deal had been reached with device maker Research in Motion that brought the devices into compliance with laws.

It wasn’t clear what concessions, if any, the Canadian device maker made to avert the ban.

But Emirati authorities have raised concerns that the phones’ security features could be misused by terrorists and criminals and wanted access to encrypted data on the phones.