Would not have mattered. ZERO calls of any nature could leave the local area. The local C.O. was cut off from the outside world, even though the world was only across the street in many instances. All the data/voice that travels on any telco line travels thru a telco C.O. Even cell calls go to a land fiber from the tower to the telephone system.

Even microwave/radio backhaul must get to the landline/fiber network some time. We would often microwave backhaul from one or more cell sites with no fiber to a node site that did have fiber access. From there it was off to the C.O. on fiber.

Keep in mind, your cell call goes from your phone to the tower. From the tower to the landlines. From the landlines to the tower closest to the cell phone you are calling, or to the landline you are calling.

It is somewhat like FEDEX. If you FEDEX a package from Dallas, TX to Fort Worth, TX, it will travel thru the FEDEX hub (C.O.) in Memphis, TN. Quite a trip for that letter to actually only move 45 miles from one desk to another.