Telecommunications Minister Renee Webb has warned BTC to clean up its act, after saying the phone giant has serious problems.

She told The Royal Gazette that she had pressed management for explanations over slow response to customers wanting phones.

The firm has also been slated by customers who have to wait weeks to get their phone fixed.

And BTC operators have complained about poor management resulting in overtaxed operators working flat out to man phone lines.

Ms Webb said: "The company definitely has some real problems and I am in contact with management through Lorraine Lyle, the CEO, and with different levels at BTC and they say they can rectify them.

"People wait months to get a telephone. Recently there have been some improvements, but it's still not good enough. However BTC assure me they are working to rectify it.'' However, Ms Webb did not blame the company for all its problems.

She said: "Demands for services have increased, but who would have envisaged that so many people would need more than one line? "People need extra lines for fax machines and the Internet.

"In some instances this couldn't be predicted, but in some cases management must relook at demand and move forward.

"The situation needs to be rectified.'' Ms Webb expressed frustration that no competitor to BTC had emerged to put some healthy pressure on the company.

She said: "Competition is always good. They are getting competition from cellular phones but those service still need numbers from BTC.

"The market is already freed up. It was a problem that unfortunately Quantum wasn't able to get off the ground.'' BTC told to clean up act Earlier in the week BTC hit the headlines after insiders complained that barely-trained new recruits had been prematurely allowed to work on the 411 service.

The company had said the move was to allow overworked operators time off as it looked to replace workers who had left under the voluntary redundancy programme in August.

The firm had previously turned down holiday requests from some staff as they struggled to cope with lack of numbers.

But Ms Webb said: "I can't judge if they are trained. It's something BTC has to look at.'' BTC is currently phasing in fibre-optic loops which it believes will result in fewer faults and allow quicker response to problems.

Currently it takes four to six weeks to get a phone line installed, according to the firm's customer services.

But BTC said the significant improvements will be noticeable next year, with the entire Island benefiting from the new system by 2002.

A BTC spokesperson said yesterday: "Our network evolution plan will improve service delivery issues.'' BTC will erect cautionary signs at their telecommunication towers.

The company will adopt advice given in the recent Government-commissioned report by Roger Choquette of Comgate Telemanagement.

Mr. Choquette's report revealed that BTC telecommunications towers on the roofs at the Southampton Princess and the Elbow Beach hotels have the potential to emit hazardous levels of radiation.

To remedy the situation Mr. Choquette specified maximum lengths of time that workers should be in direct exposure to the towers and he advised that cautionary signs be erected.

A BTC spokesperson yesterday said after reviewing the report the company had decided to comply with the advice to post signs.