open to public view.

And some spoke out further on their schemes yesterday. Mr. John Casling, whose Bermuda International Telcom outfit took out a full-page newspaper ad yesterday, said: "We can offer people the exact same service that is being provided now, but at much more competitive rates.

"The trick is that we're quite willing to work on margins a lot less than Cable & Wireless are.

"We have negotiated contracts and rates with some of the major carriers in the US and we have leased a fibre-optic connection to the Island.

"Our billing procedures would be different. Now you pay for the first minute and then for every minute thereafter.

"With our system you would pay for the first 30 seconds and then in six-second increments.

"If you place a call for one minute and six seconds, that's all you would be charged for -- not two full minutes as now.'' A hotel with a $1.5 million bill could find it cut in half, he said. An advantage over Global Access Bermuda -- particularly for international business -- would be that calls could be dialled immediately in the normal way, Mr. Casling added.

He said the firm's phone had been "ringing off the hook'' with inquiries. Mr.

Edwin Faries, of Island Bell, was more cautious about its plans.

"If we got a licence, what we would do from there would be up to the Telecommunications Commission as to what they would allow us to do.

"Our goal is to offer as good a service as anyone else and also reduce rates.'' Savings would come down to what Government would allow. Even C&W could only reduce its rates by Government-controlled amounts, he said.

His firm would make savings through lower operating costs than C&W. "You can start off brand new and get the latest technology and easily cut costs.'' Discounts claimed by BIT could only be suggestions until Government approved them, Mr. Faries added.

"They're suggesting that they can use fibre optics and what have you, but if that happens they have to give notice to C&W, who have exclusive rights to overseas calls from Bermuda.

"I don't know if that can exist the way they have worded it in the newspaper ad.'' He said his firm was considering entering the market before GAB came on the scene. "They're a bit of a Johnny-come-lately.'' GAB already has loyal customers on its side, angry at having their service cut off. The group says it signed up more than 1,000 clients, who have since been deprived of more than $1 million in savings.

Its head, local entrepreneur Mr. Michael Leverock, claimed savings of up to 60 percent on overseas calls. But its operation was cut off in July by the courts.

The fourth applicant for a telecommunications licence, Mr. Kenneth DeFontes, was travelling yesterday and unavailable for comment.

Getting a licence is only the first hurdle for the hopeful new outfits. They will have to work out what commission head the Hon. John Stubbs calls "a satisfactory business relationship'' with Telco and C&W.

C&W general manager Ms Jeni Graham said: "Some of the local applicants for licences have been in contact, but Cable & Wireless has not entered into any agreements, verbal or otherwise''.

The company declined to comment on other aspects of the licence applications.

The four applications will be on view at the Ministry of Telecommunications in Reid Street today and tomorrow.

So far, interest in viewing the documents has been strong as local telecommunications companies capitalise on the opportunity to study the documents produced by competitors.

Telecommunications inspector Mr. Ted Pitman described the role of the Telecommunications Commission as researching applications and advising the operations of the carriers.