World on Wireless (WOW) will miss its self-imposed February deadline for beaming 114 channels into Bermudian homes.

But boss Gavin Wilson is now promising to get the service up and running in the first two weeks of March, despite legal actions that could derail the launch.

Despite multiple threats of legal action and a bizarre incident in which Mr. Wilson's own cable was thought to be tampered with, the businessman is guaranteeing his company will still be able to offer the service, blaming the delay on "engineering issues".

The issue of a cable broadcast licence to WOW at a hearing last year has caused controversy ever since with an injunction issued by Hardell, which claims it is entitled to a licence, and CableVision also taking a writ out against the Department of Telecommunications.

Representatives of both companies, and a third which has also threatened legal action, SGC Ventures, have all rated WOW's chances of a February launch as "zero" - something that somewhat frustrates Mr. Wilson.

"There will be a few people reading this who have won bets," he reluctantly told The Royal Gazette.

"A few people said our chances of launching in February were 'zero'. But the only reason there has been a delay is that there have been a few engineering issues that have come up.

"There is no doubt that we will get this service up and running."

WOW, which is hoping to capture 20 percent of the monopoly currently held by CableVision, will use a tower at Prospect to transmit the UHF broadcast which can be picked up by a "Christmas Tree" style antenna linked to a set-top box.

One of the advances that WOW will offer through its digital service will be the ability to pause live television, a service that has revolutionised TV watching in other countries.

Mr. Wilson added that the satellite dish, a 40-foot by 20-foot device, that picks up the satellite feed before re-transmitting it had arrived on the Island and the set-top boxes, being made in Korea, had been delivered to California for testing ahead of their arrival here.

He added that leaflets, explaining how the service works and how potential subscriber's can sign up, would be distributed at supermarkets and other public places in "around ten days".