Cellphones don't operate during extended power outages.
The battery in the phone runs out (with no way of recharging it) and the "cells" themselves (the transceivers that relay the calls) are run on storage batteries that run out if they're not kept charged.
During the August 2003 blackout in New York City, cell phones winked out as the batteries died. The plain old telephone system remained intact and in full working order.
C-H, maybe the phone company in your country could be taken to task for ignoring its business? It seems to me that they're cutting themselves in the throat if they're reluctant to install new lines.
