down in the Supreme Court yesterday.

Puisne Judge the Hon. Mr. Justice Ground found Global Access Bermuda was operating unlawfully because it did not have a public telephone licence. He dismissed a Global Access injunction against Cable & Wireless. It required Cable & Wireless to continue the company's callback system that allowed customers to make overseas calls at US rates.

Last night, Global Access's Mr. Michael Leaverock said his low-cost service would begin again as soon as he got a licence from the Department of Telecommunications.

He said the company had operated on the understanding that a licence was not needed. "Global Access Bermuda is happy to make the application to the Department of Telecommunications to obtain the necessary licence,'' he said.

"Unfortunately, there will be a temporary halt in the service until the Minister has granted the necessary licence. Global Access Bermuda hopes to be back in service within the next few weeks.

"We appreciate the support the company has received from its customers. We are sorry we can't provide a service to Bermudians which is substantially cheaper than the rates charged by Cable & Wireless. Global Access has been the only competitor to Cable & Wireless to date.'' A Cable & Wireless statement reporting Mr. Ground's finding said Global Access's claim against Cable & Wireless opposition to the callback service was "struck out'' by the judge and that its action against the telecommunications giant was dismissed with costs awarded against Global Access.

"Consequently, subscribers to Global Access Bermuda will no longer be able to use this service,'' it said.

Since Global Access launched the service last spring, more than 1,000 customers have started using the callback service.

The company provides them with a United States call-in number which they dial and let ring once. The call triggers a call-back and which uses an international dial tone on a US network. Customers can then dial their numbers and be charged at US rates.

Global Access, which launched the business in March, claims discounts of up to 60 percent on overseas calls.

At the end of May, Cable & Wireless blocked the Global Access calls, saying its operation was "illegal and fraudulent''. The fledgling company immediately won a Supreme Court injunction allowing its service to operate until the hearing was held before Mr. Ground.