Bermuda thanks to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), Henry Adderley writes .

That body has granted the global telecommunications group a license to provide switched and private line service to the Island through its own facilities.

Previously Cable & Wireless was limited to providing services to Bermuda exclusively through the resold services of other US carriers. Its entry into the US-Bermuda market will increase competition on the route and benefit US consumers, said Rachel J. Rothstein, senior vice president of Regulatory and Government Affairs, Global Operations, Cable & Wireless.

"Bermuda is an open market, with competitive forces and regulatory oversight bringing prices and costs down.

"Cable & Wireless looks forward to providing consumers with the latest technology for Internet, data and voice services.'' The firm operates an OC-48 capacity network in the US. At the end of last year it announced a significant expansion in capacity and speed of its US network with the activation of OC-192 capacity on the East Coast portion of the network.