just two months before the Island's international code changes.

From the end of September the new code for Bermuda will be 441 -- but despite advertisements and warnings from the Bermuda Telephone Company some overseas calls using the new code are still not getting through.

One company, whose spokesman preferred to remain anonymous, claimed Telco had been very "uncooperative'' in solving the difficulties.

"We have had several problems, especially with our regulating agency in the US. They kept calling for days and days and could not get through to us.'' Many other companies had minor complaints but said the major problems occurred earlier in the year and have been smoothed out by now.

"If we have any problems, they are occasional,'' said the receptionist of a large exempted company.

Telco spokesman Karla Lacey-Minors said the fault lay with overseas telephone operators, not in Bermuda.

"The problem is not on our Island. People attempting to call from overseas must change their equipment and get their telephone companies to change their PBX's.'' The PBX is a switchboard that registers phone numbers, both incoming and outgoing, from a company.

Some PBX switch boards have not been modified to read the new area codes put in place in the US, and planned for the Caribbean.

Although complaints may continue, Ms Lacey-Minors said Bermuda companies were responsible for informing overseas business contacts of the problems.

"If a business knows someone is having problems reaching them, they should tell the people that the problem lies on their end,'' she said. "They will have to change their equipment.

"Bermuda is not the only place with a new area code, many major cities in the US have also changed, and these people who don't change their equipment will not be able to reach them either.''