I agree this feels pretty questionable, but if you take that view, you should ask yourself how you feel about the Garmin inReach Mini [1] (and possibly other de

I agree this feels pretty questionable, but if you take that view, you should ask yourself how you feel about the Garmin inReach Mini [1] (and possibly other devices in that family). It's an emergency satellite SOS device for outdoor recreation, with a monthly subscription option—and many features beyond pure SOS. When the subscription is suspended though, the SOS functionality will not work (unlike, say, a cellphone). And yet it is—from my observation—an incredibly popular device, and I would bet that the start/stop monthly plan is the most popular (it's the one I use). Obvious one difference is that here you get something for your monthly subscription (maintenance of the Iridium network, an emergency response center, etc). But given the incredibly low rate of people pushing the SOS button, the relatively low cost of that happening (it's not like they actually mount the search and rescue, they just pass on a message), and the incredibly high benefits, how different is it really? [1] https://buy.garmin.com/en-US/US/p/592606 https://buy.garmin.com/en-US/US/p/592606