Mark Anthony Sammut Shadow Minister for Energy and the Environment and Darren Carabott Shadow Minister for the Economy, Technology and Strategic Projects, said that the prolonged electricity outages in Gozo have now also affected mobile phone and data services, after telecommunications operators’ battery backup systems began to run down due to the length of the power cuts.
They stressed that ”this situation shows just how essential it is for Malta’s energy infrastructure to be reliable and resilient.”
They warned that ”when power cuts last long enough to begin affecting communications as well, the consequences go far beyond a simple inconvenience.”
He pointed out that ”in the face of all this, the Prime Minister is absent.”
”Mobile communications and access to data are today essential services for residents, businesses and even in emergency situations,” said the Shadow Ministers. ”The Government must therefore explain what measures are being taken to ensure that failures in the electricity network do not once again lead to problems spreading to other essential services.”
They concluded by saying that ”Malta and Gozo need infrastructure capable of meeting the demands of an increasingly digital economy and society.”
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