The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 13 letter word WALKIE-TALKIE
I've seen this crossword clue in Independent
W
A
L
K
I
E
-
T
A
L
K
I
E
Buddy explains!
The straight part
We know that "means of communicating" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case means of communicating = walkie-talkie.The cryptic/wordplay part
In cryptic crossword there's often an wordplay/cryptic part as well.This part involves a more complex hint, such as an anagram, homophone, hidden word, etc.
Sadly, We don't have an explanation for this specific crossword clue yet.
What does WALKIE-TALKIE mean?
WALKIE-TALKIE noun- A portable, bi-directional radio transceiver, usually as a pair.
- A walk and talk.