The telcos here have generators to keep the battery farms charged up and working during power outs. It's part of the emergency services stuff that gets funded with help from the gubmint I think. Several years ago we had power out for over 4 days. The only things that worked were land line phones and one little AM radio station.The hospitals, cops and fire depts have emergency generators here too, of course. I always have a hard wired phone to plug in for such things. It's a cheap piece of shyte but the fucker always works.