Cape York residents in Queensland's far north feel forgotten as constant phone and internet outages plague the remote peninsula.
They are unable to call emergency services or loved ones, while EFTPOS machines have also stopped working.
Up to 8,000 people went without phone or internet services for two days last week, Cape York Sustainable Futures (CYSF) boss Trish Butler says.
Some remote families have also reported being cut off for up to two months.
"It's their one link to the outside world," she told AAP.
Telstra is Cape York's only provider and there is only one line connecting the region to the main network.
Frequent outages are particularly concerning during the cyclone season.
"People feel forgotten and I mean in the 21st century this is what one of the residents said: `where are we?'," Ms Butler said.
"They're left out, that's how they feel."
Residents want Telstra and the federal government to address the issue.
Ms Butler says having a back-up network to ensure residents don't go without phone and internet would go a long way towards resolving the issue.
The 80,000 tourists and business people who visit the Cape each year are also affected, she added.
She suggested a Cape-based technician who could help reduce the time people waited to have the network fixed.
Comment has been sought from Telstra.
