A DISPATCHER NOTES THAT WHEN PHONES WENT DOWN IN THEIR DISPATCH CTR THE ACR'S ACFT COULD NOT BE FOLLOWED. BACKUP COM SHOULD BE PROVIDED.

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AT APPROX XA00 OUR PHONE SYS WENT DOWN IN THE ENTIRE BUILDING. HENCE WE HAD NO TELESIS EITHER. OUR BACKUP COMS WITH THE FLTS WOULDN'T WORK EITHER. THEY WERE OUT FOR APPROX 2 HRS AND THEN WORKED ON A LIMITED BASIS INTERMITTENTLY SEVERAL HRS AFTERWARDS. WHILE WE WERE ON THE BACKUP SYS WE WERE CUTTING OFF CALLERS SINCE THE CONFERENCE; PICKUP AND XFER FEATURES WERE NOT WORKING. THE SPD DIALS DIDN'T WORK EITHER; SO IF YOU NEEDED TO USE THE TELESIS YOU HAD TO LOOK UP AND THEN ENTER THE NUMBER OF THE STATION MANUALLY. I ACARS'ED ALL MY FLTS AND MESSAGED ALL MY STATIONS TELLING THEM OF THE OUTAGE AND TOLD THEM TO CONTACT ME VIA ACARS. SINCE SEVERAL STATIONS DON'T HAVE ACARS RECEIVERS I PROVIDED MY CELL PHONE NUMBER FOR EMER. THE MGR SAID HIS PHONE WORKED; BUT IT ENDED UP BEING INTERMITTENT. I WOULD IMAGINE SOME ACFT DIDN'T HAVE WORKING ACARS SYS TOO. SEEMS TO ME EACH DEPT IN OPS SHOULD HAVE AN EMER CELL PHONE NUMBER IN SITUATIONS LIKE THIS. I AM NOT SURE IF WE WERE ABLE TO FULLY COMPLY WITH FAR 121.199. IF WE WERE TO EVAC TO OUR BACKUP FACILITY; WHO WOULD FLT FOLLOW OUR FLTS WHILE WE WERE ENRTE? JUST SEEMS LIKE SOMETHING WE MIGHT WANT TO PLAN A BACKUP FOR.