Steve, you're a veritable Mine of Information this morning! Husband (very technological, unlike me) uses the Wifi doodah when he's on his laptop near the (I think it's called) modem. If one of his African mates/family is online, he can ring them on his phobile moan, using Lyca pay-as-you-go.
Good grief, to think we used to pop down to the red telephone kiosk with two pennies, press button A (or button B if no luck) and speak to someone. Trouble was, not many folk had a telephone in their house, so one was limited as to whom to try and contact.
I did learn Semaphore in the Brownies. And my father taught me Morse Code.