off for more than four months.

They say they have missed out on savings of up to $400 a month since they were disconnected in July.

The service, Global Access Bermuda, says customers were saving a third of their bills before it was forced to suspend business.

GAB had recruited more than 1,000 clients when Cable & Wireless, supplier of Bermuda's international phone links, won a court battle to stop it.

A judge ruled the new service was illegal because it did not have a Government licence.

After the case Telecommunications Minister the Hon. Mike Winfield appeared to hold out hope that GAB, along with three similar services, could get licences.

But GAB subscribers say they are fed up of waiting for action.

Mr. Robin Gray said he signed up with GAB when it started.

"I was quite delighted with it,'' he said, estimating he saved $300-$400 a month on overseas calls.

He felt "cheated and pressured'' into having to return to the "monopoly'' of C&W and Telco.

And he was unhappy with the apparent lack of progress at getting GAB back in service.

"Everybody seems to be dragging their feet. From what I can gather they think the more time they spend, the less interested we'll be, and it will all go away.'' Mrs. Dawn Andrews, who runs exempt company DesalCo with her husband, said they had business and personal accounts with GAB.

"If they've got a good product, how come the public can't access it? "Because Bermuda's so isolated, we all have family everywhere else.

"With a mother in Australia, a kid in the States and another one in Europe, I saved some significant bucks.'' Her personal bill went down by more than $100 and the firm saved hundreds more, she said.

"I think GAB have a right to be in business. Make them pay for a licence if necessary, but don't tell them they can't be in business, it's not fair.''