Indeed, I found this true in rural South Africa. Almost everyone carried a "dumb" phone since obviously, cell access is vastly desirable over landline in those

Indeed, I found this true in rural South Africa. Almost everyone carried a "dumb" phone since obviously, cell access is vastly desirable over landline in those sorts of areas. Additionally, it would often behoove local groups to team up and get a small solar generator. Both for the savings (even a small panel could provide much of their daily energy use) as well as for increased self-reliance from the "grid" (or, more like the "wire", if there was one).