Do iPhones work in outer space? How about other galaxies?

I don't know how many of you got into the Stargate franchise, especially SG-U?  The premier episode, character Eli Wallace is a gaming nerd who solves a really hard puzzle in an online game, that turns out to be a way for the Stargate Command to find someone on Earth to solve this puzzle to unlock access to an ancient starship.  So the Air Force shows up at his door, and beams him up to the Prometheus, and they embark into deep space.

Well, at the time the show was aired, I had an iPhone 3G with an OtterBox case, and lo and behold, Eli Wallace also has the same form-factor phone.  He takes it with him to the ancient ship Destiny, using it to record videos, listen to music, and so on.  Of course he can't phone home - or can he?  Apparently on the Prometheus they rigged a way to connect to the cellular network back on Earth.

Anyhow, I was totally addicted to the SG franchise, bummed when they canceled SGU just as it was getting into a new interesting conflict scenario.