International (UK) Ltd. an international facilities licence, TeleBermuda boss Mike Kedar said this week.

TeleBermuda UK is a joint subsidiary of Bermuda-based TeleBermuda International Ltd. and Toronto-based GeoReach Telecommunications Inc.

Mr. Kedar is chairman and CEO of both companies.

It is anticipated that the UK firm will be granted a final licence next month, Mr. Kedar added.

TeleBermuda is planning to build a fibre optic telecommunications cable from the US to Bermuda. Phase two of the project will take the cable on to the UK.

Concurrent to news of the pending UK licensing, TeleBermuda announced this week that the US State Department has authorised the Federal Communications Commission to give TeleBermuda's US affiliate, TeleBermuda International LLC, a US cable landing licence. Mr. Kedar called this the company's last major hurdle.

On the UK licence, formal notification of the UK government's intent to issue the licence to TeleBermuda UK was published by the DTI as part of the statutory consultation process.

TeleBermuda UK's application for a licence was in response to DTI move to end the BT-Mercury duopoly over international telecommunications.

TeleBermuda UK applied to the DTI for a licence to install and maintain telecommunications systems in the UK.

TeleBermuda UK plans to offer service in the UK in the first half of 1997 by acquiring capacity on existing submarine telecommunications cables.