> One would think this would have been more obvious.
Devices can refuse to function without a network connection, and the profits to be made from simply including a cellular connection of some sort for ad refresh + tracking are too high to be ignored forever.
I have to think that far less than 1% of STV owners don't connect them. Adding hardware to capture whatever % of them it actually is seems extremely financially dubious to me, especially given how unlikely they are to have positive ad conversions.
Devices can refuse to function without a network connection, and the profits to be made from simply including a cellular connection of some sort for ad refresh + tracking are too high to be ignored forever.
So this isn't a reliable, long-term solution.