The Military uses of the Palantiri.

[Legate of Amon Lanc]

Originally Posted by Andsigil

I'd like to again point out that, while they have shortcomings as intelligence gathering devices (the ME equivalent of spy satellites) the Palantiri would be invaluable communication devices (the ME equivalent of a cell phone).

Imagine how much better coordination and response time would be between two allied kingdoms, each with a Palantir in the throne room. Mutual support would not depend on horsemen, carrying messages days or weeks old (the Red Arrow) or upon semaphore beacons, hours old which only give generic calls for aid instead of specific messages (the Beacons of Gondor).

That's true, however still I believe that except for really urgent cases, one would still use the good old-fashioned way. "Hello my dear cousin, I hope everything's going fine in your land, we have produced five hundred tons of grain this year" is not necessary to transmit via the Palantír, and as it's been pointed out, the strain of using it, even by a king who had the right to it, would not be worth it in such simple cases.