A bid to open up the market to competitors in the telecommunications market is set to go ahead -- despite the stalling in the Senate of a new bill laying out the ground rules for the end of monopoly.

Yesterday Telecommunications Minister John Barritt said the offer of licences to four firms interested in competing with the Bermuda Telephone Company and Cable & Wireless could still be offered.

He said: "It's not necessarily impossible to move off in terms of giving people licences -- although I am sure they would have liked the security of knowing the regulatory framework under which they would have operated.'' "Government is committed to this -- I am trying to get my people to look at what we can do to move off this summer if the amendment gets stalled.'' But he slammed PLP Senators for standing in the way of reform with a series of amendments -- all but one of which were rejected.

Mr. Barritt was speaking after the Opposition PLP, with support from Sen. Alf Oughton (Ind), won a vote on an amendment to the Telecommunications Amendment Act in the Senate of Wednesday.

That meant the bill should have been referred back to the House of Assembly for further debate in the next session, which does not start until November.

But UBP Senators launched a surprise flanking move using the Senate rule book to have the bill discussed again.

They argued that no judgement had been passed on the bill, except a vote for a small amendment concerning the powers of appeal by service providers.

Senate President Albert Jackson said the UBP may have a case -- but deferred the matter until next Wednesday so he could seek outside advice.

Mr. Barritt said: "The PLP could have delayed competition -- and delay could be seen to favour the status quo.

"For the life of me, I can't see whose interests they were representing in the Senate.'' "Was their position in the best interests of Bermuda? -- my answer would be no.'' Mr. Barritt revealed he attended Senate after the amendment was passed to get a briefing on the situation.

He added he had undertaken -- if the bill was approved -- to amend it according to the Senate's wishes.

Mr. Barritt added: "The Senate team went about trying to reintroduce the bill as they thought it was possible under the rules.

"There was an accusation I was down there lobbying Senators which certainly isn't true.'' And he dismissed PLP Senators' claims that possible service providers had said they were annoyed because they were not given enough time to examine the bill before it passed through the House of Assembly and went to Senate.

Mr. Barritt said negotiations had been going on long before a position paper was submitted to both the House and Senate in May.

He added the House PLP group had agreed the bill should move forward, even though they had reservations.

And he said: "The thing that disturbs me is that by putting all these amendments forward and by some Senators trying to stall this bill, it can only have the effect of stymieing the effect of competition.''