A severe failure of the telephone line has left entire towns isolated for several days in the municipalities of Massa Marittima and Montieri, in the province of Grosseto. Internet connections are also down. The situation is particularly critical in the forest villages of Prata and Tatti, where residents have been cut off for five consecutive days, and in Montieri’s main town, all its hamlets, and rural areas.
“The fault,” denounce the municipalities, “despite numerous reports from users and the direct intervention of the town councils, has to date found neither a solution nor clear answers regarding the timeline for restoration.” The outage impacts not only private communication—affecting many elderly people, including those in isolated rural homes—but also essential services. Health services are compromised, as family doctors cannot access patient records or issue prescriptions. Postal and banking services are down, along with the operation of POS terminals in shops.
“This is a condition that affects several thousand people and can no longer be tolerated,” declare the mayors of Massa Marittima, Irene Marconi, and of Montieri, Nicola Verruzzi. The mayors, who have collected reports from citizens, have “requested an immediate and decisive intervention.” Despite this, they have encountered serious difficulties in communicating with the service provider, which, despite continuous urging, has failed to provide information on either the nature of the fault or who is physically working to resolve it.
The mayors are urging citizens to request refunds from their respective providers and announce that if the situation persists, they will take the necessary legal action to seek compensation for damages.