Once upon a time, Matthew Petach <mpetach@netflight.com> said:
If we're going to postulate every citizen of the country having a cell phone, then we should first postulate the system whereby the government provides them free to every citizen, with a minimum level of access provided free to all users.
You are going from a false base in this particular point, because the current alert systems all require people to purchase their own devices, except for locations with alert sirens. Even those are typically only designed to alert people outdoors (of course, if you live close enough, they'll wake you up, but that's not the primary intent). IF you own a cell phone, there's an alert system. IF you own a weather/all-hazards radio, there's an alert system. The government doesn't provide equipment to receive either of those. I feel that trying to shove alerts down a streaming path is a bad idea, because that's yet another geo-location thing the providers will get wrong. I agree that cell phones provide sufficient coverage already (nothing will be 100%), and for people that care, buy a radio. If you can't figure out to program it, get help - there are regular help days around here from TV stations and EMS and such (or at least there were pre-COVID). The alerts on cable TV are already annoying enough - I've been watching severe weather coverage of radar showing a cell moving towards my house when the alert comes on and takes over my TV for the time it takes to repeat what I've already heard from my weather radio. Now if I want to continue to see live radar coverage, I have to get out a portable TV and connect to the outside antenna (I cannot get good TV signals inside my house because of terrain, despite being only about 7-8 miles from the transmitters). I don't know if an unsubscribed cell phone gets the emergency alerts (I know you are supposed to be able to call 911 from any cell phone, even if not carrying paid service). If so, that'd be another cheap way to get alerts. -- Chris Adams <cma@cmadams.net>