world television service to Bermuda and other UK cable links.

Cable & Wireless spokesman Mr. John Instone yesterday apologised to customers and revealed that international telecommunications traffic normally carried via fibreoptic cable was interrupted on Saturday afternoon due to a fault on the eastern part of the company's transatlantic submarine cable (PTAT) to which Bermuda is linked by a spur.

Initially all PTAT traffic was affected, Mr. Instone said. But traffic to the US had returned to normal by 5.55 p.m. on Saturday and telephone service to the US, UK and Europe was available by satellite throughout the outage.

"The fault has been isolated to an area 700 nautical miles off the west coast of England,'' he said, "and a cable ship is currently preparing to sail to the area to effect repairs''.

In the meantime, Mr. Instone added, telecommunications traffic from Bermuda which was normally carried on the PTAT east cable link, was being carried via satellite.

He also explained that the BBC world television service -- which was provided to DeFontes Broadcasting Co. Ltd. by Cable & Wireless on a pre-emptive basis -- used the same satellite antenna that was being used to restore eastbound telecommunications traffic.