Telephone Networks (and alternate uses for them)

[Olefin]

Western Union was still using it for wire transfers up until the late 2000's and the as late as 2006 they were still sending 20,000 actual telegrams a year in the US. India still had an extensive network as late as 2013.

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/last-te...-sent-july-14/

The wires are still there for sure in the mid-90's to 2000 time frame for the V1 and V2.2 - they were never taken down in many places. The question is how many breaks would there be and getting trained operators. Its actually one thing that the producers of Independence Day were surprised to find out - i.e. that the idea of the military communicating by telegraph in the movie was actually factual.