[kstrauser]

I absolutely believe it! I’ve seen exactly one packet radio in my life, a giant rack mounted thing on a US Navy ship. It was neat tech but you’ve gotta admit it was far from ubiquitous. I think the modern analogy would be surprise that they don’t issue Meshtastic radios.

First and foremost, Mulder and Scully worked for an enormous federal agency. They have some pockets of incredibly high tech stuff. They don’t procure cutting edge gadgets for the average employee. Think of it like going to work at IBM or similar, where you get issued exactly the set of tools that your job description and organization say are required for your job. If that still says you need a Pentium 4 desktop and a BlackBerry, guess what’ll be in your cubicle on your first day at the office.