SHERRIF ARPAIO
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NTSB tosses the BlackBerry in favor of the iPhone
Another U.S. government agency decides to drop RIM's beleaguered device because it has been "failing both at inopportune times and at an unacceptable rate."
by Dara Kerr
November 20, 2012 7:45 PM PST
(Credit: RIM)
Here's another signal that might be pointing to a BlackBerry swan song -- the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board is ditching the device for Apple's iPhone 5. This is the latest in a growing number of government agencies that have turned their backs on the mobile phone.
The government agency announced its plan in a government filing last week, according toBloomberg. The reason it gave for dropping the phone is that it is not reliable.
BlackBerry devices have been "failing both at inopportune times and at an unacceptable rate," the NTSB wrote, according to Bloomberg. The 400-employee agency "requires effective, reliable and stable communication capabilities to carry out its primary investigative mission and to ensure employee safety in remote locations."
The NTSB is in charge of immediately investigating airplane accidents, along with other transportation disasters. Two international service disruptions on Research In Motion's BlackBerry network, including one in September, most likely gave pause to the NTSB.
RIM has had a tough year when it comes to the survival of its BlackBerry device. In addition to the NTSB dropping the phone, the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency alsoditched the device last month saying that the phone "can no longer meet the mobile technology needs of the agency."
To add insult to injury, the U.S. Department of Defense also announced last month that it wasending its exclusive contract with the company and opening up bidding to other device makers, including Apple and Google.