Still kept a few POTS lines at the hospital and twice they saved the bacon…
Many people refuse to consider contingencies - even ones that (should) know better.
This thread has me thinking wayyyy back - first company I worked at, coming out of college. It was considered a hot-startup at the time, party because the whole economy was a wreck. Upgrading office phones, we are all sitting in a presentation by the phone supplier, presently this latest/greatest phone system. Being me, I stuck up my hand "What happens when the Power Goes Out" - A: Phones don't work. People are used to this now, but that was less well-known then...
Sales rep then says (holding up a set with a battery symbol on it) "But we have these, that will run on battery". I look at el presidente, and ask "How many are we ordering ?". His answer "Zero". I then said "OK, but it will be somebody-else, driving miles away to make calls out of here".
My youthful impertinence notwithstanding, it was a totally idiotic scenario. El presidente was an engineer (OK, an ME, but this was hardly nanoscale lithography at play), but refused to consider contingencies. This was before cells were even starting to ramp, so just reporting a power-outage would have been a PITA, and if there ever had been a medical or other emergency at the site, there would have been no way to report it quickly.
For some elderly people, even if they have a cell phone, they rarely use it. My neighbour's landline went down, so I walked her through using the flip-phone her kids insisted she have. She'd had it for a quite a while, but just never used it........ Hard to believe, I know, for generations (including some elderly) who have their facebook up on their phone, 12-18 hours/day, but there are people (including ultra-wealthy, and tech-savvy) who don't want to carry a cell.
Pick yer poison, take yer chances..... if I get back to commercial messaging, it will probably be Inreach - probably doesn't make sense cost-wise for an elderly budget, and "kids" have no use for it, as you can't stream on it..... in other words, perfect for me
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Elon should be out with something soon (another new month is coming), so there will probably be even better/cheaper Sat options shortly.....
OTOH, I should get on with ordering the 2'nd book, that follows One Second After, and get on with stocking up on ham tube gear
Rgds, D.