Having problems connecting with friends on BlackBerry Messenger?You’re not alone although as of this afternoon, the majority of services have been restored.BlackBerry phones across North America, the Caribbean and Bermuda have been affected today by an “external service degradation”.Technical difficulties have hampered the service; Digicel Bermuda CEO Wayne Caines said everything should be corrected by about 7pm.With an estimated 25,000 and 30,000 BlackBerry users, Mr Caines said: “When there is an interruption of service, it affects a lot of people.”The Island has one of the highest BlackBerry penetrations in the world, he said.Currently the problem is limited to BlackBerry Messenger: users this afternoon can expect message delays of ten to 20 minutes.The problem is not local, but an “external services degradation” that has affected the Canadian telecommunications giant Research in Motion.Said a spokesperson: “Digicel wishes to advise the public that Research in Motion (RIM) is experiencing a service issue affecting BlackBerry Messenger, which may cause delays in sending or receiving instant messages, transferring files, or updating statuses. This issue is not limited to Digicel customers, as it is affecting BlackBerry customers across the region.“Digicel wishes to thank our BlackBerry customers for their patience while RIM BlackBerry support teams are working to resolve the issue.”