MOBILE phones are near ubiquitous these days. But using your local phone overseas may prove expensive; and there are some out-of-the way places that get little coverage. Of course there are alternate means of communication.
Years ago handheld CB radios had a reasonable market. They would have been more popular except for the expense, and the fact they weren’t going to be used every day. These days a pair of radios are much cheaper; even if they are only used on the annual holiday the expense is justified.
CB radios don’t require base stations or entail anybody charging you a fee. As long as the distance is short they are fine for keeping in touch with the other people you travel with. And if the distance is longer some places do have commercial repeaters that extend the transition range.
It is easy to see how this portable communication is useful when far away from anywhere. But it has had its uses in commercial establishments. Disneyland and a few other theme parks allow these devices, and even rented them out, so families could keep track of each other during the day. This was great for children who were old enough for some independence, but still needed to stay in contact. These days the same function is mostly taken up by SMS services. Radios still might be useful in some situations.
A pair of CB radios require no licence and are easier to operate than the average cell phone. Travellers might find them useful in some situations. Obviously radios should be kept off near aircraft or any other transport or communication equipment.