B777-200 CREW ENCOUNTERED A SOLID LINE OF TSTMS; OVER 400 MI LONG. THIS REQUIRED BROADCASTING DEV INTENTIONS IN THE BLIND AS THE VHF RADIOS WERE RENDERED INOP BY STATIC.

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CAPT'S EMER AUTH; WX DEV. FLT ENCOUNTER LINE OF UNFORECAST CUMULO NIMBUS 20 MINS AFTER TKOF. WE DEVIATED W TO PARALLEL LINE LOOKING FOR A BREAK TO PUNCH THROUGH. NEVER FOUND ONE. WE OPERATED 40-70 NM S OF LINE FOR OVER 400 NM UNTIL WE REACHED THE END OF THE LINE. DURING THIS PERIOD; DESPITE BEING 50 NM FROM THE LINE; WE ENCOUNTERED MODERATE TURB; HVY STATIC DISCHARGES AND LIGHTNING. STATIC BUILDUP WAS SO BAD; BOTH VHF RECEIVERS WERE UNUSABLE. I HAD THE FO BROADCASTING ON ALL FREQS (121.5; ETC; ETC) OUR POS AND INTENTIONS. I DSNDED TO FL320 IN A SUCCESSFUL ATTEMPT TO REDUCE OUR EXPOSURE TO TURB AND STATIC/LIGHTNING DISCHARGES. AFTER ABOUT 45 MINS OF RADIO DEAFNESS; WE REGAINED CONTACT WITH CORDOBA CTR. THEY HAD HEARD OUR BROADCASTS AND CLRED US AS REQUESTED TO REJOIN OUR FPR. ACFT WAS NOT KNOWN TO BE DAMAGED BY DISCHARGES AND 75 MINS AFTER TKOF; FLT ATTENDANTS WERE ALLOWED TO GET OUT OF THEIR SEATS TO BEGIN SVC. THIS ENTIRE MISERABLE EVENT COULD HAVE BEEN AVOIDED HAD DISPATCH PROVIDED US WITH TIMELY SATELLITE WX DATA WHICH WOULD HAVE SHOWN THAT AN EASY EASTERN DEV WOULD HAVE TAKEN US CLR OF THE WX WITH LITTLE EFFORT. DISPATCH WAS DEBRIEFED VIA SATCOM ONCE CLR OF WX. HE TOLD ME THAT THIS LINE HAD FLARED UP IN THE LAST 2 HRS AND APOLOGIZED FOR NOT SENDING US CURRENT DATA. SBOUND FLT WAS ADVISED BY US UPON PASSING. FLT LANDED WITHOUT INCIDENT APPROX 20 MINS LATER.