I have an old time phone that plugs into the wall, just a plain phone. When power went out due to Ike, my phone worked. My son called from England to check on me, and the phone worked. A friend in the Texas hill country also called to make sure I wasn’t dead. The phone worked.
In a really disasterous situation, when even an old type phone doesn’t work, I have zilch to communicate with someone else. I have a Sony Short Wave receiver but no way to talk myself to anyone.
If a cheap walkie talkie would work for a distance of 10 miles, I could give a friend one of the walkie talkies and I coiuld reach her if needed.
One reason I don’t care for VoIP at home and recommend to my business customers keeping a POTS for contingencies.
When the electricity goes down you got no internet, no phone, no email, no web, nuttin.
However, Bell engineered a low voltage system that always delivers a charge to even the most distant and remote locations.
Cheap insurance.
I've tried four different varieties/brands....None of 'em - even the ones that tout "15 miles!" - work over two....and that's a straight line, unobscured stretch.