Bermuda Digital Communications/Cellular One continues to offer customers a service to access the Internet more than a month after Director of Telecommunications William Francis sent the company a cease and desist order. understands that a number of new complaints about the service, called ?The Bull?, have made their way to the Ministry of Telecommunications and E-Commerce, however, yesterday Minister Michael Scott said that before he could elaborate or reinforce the orders of his department he would like to give opportunity for talks.

?We?re very much in the mode of holding talks, not just with BDC but the whole ISP community, and because we are in sensitive talks to resolve it, it would be inappropriate for me to comment on this particular subject,? Mr. Scott said yesterday.

Controversy over The Bull dates back to its launch in early April when a widespread advertising campaign for ?Wireless Data Access? prompted Class C licensees ? Internet Service Providers ? to complain that the company was acting outside its licence.

ISPs hold Class C licences while Cellular One holds a Class B licence, which designates it as a provider of cell phone services and data services.

On April 13, Mr. Francis sent a letter to the ISPs to address their complaints that Cellular One?s offering of services including ?Internet Access? was ?allegedly in contravention of its Class ?B? Licence?.

Mr. Francis said at the time: ?Based upon our interpretation of the service being offered, the offer of Internet Service by BDC is not permitted and thus, they have been directed to discontinue this type of service.?

Yesterday two staffers asked Cellular One sales staff about the service called ?The Bull?.

One sales clerk said: ?We offer a wireless modem that allows you to connect to the Internet but you can?t get email unless you have an existing account with Yahoo.?

Both staffers specifically asked whether they needed to subscribe to a local ISP in order to use Cellular One?s service to access the Internet. Both were told, ?No!?

Cellular One did not respond to calls for comment by Press time.