Nearly seven weeks after Hurricane Fabian wiped out cable TV across the Island, CableVision are still unable to say when service will be fully restored.

But one thing is for certain - the company has gone way past the four week timetable predicted by General Manager Jeremy Elmas on September 16.

Mr. Elmas is currently in the Caribbean discussing joining a co-operative which would send extra linesmen when hurricanes strike.

Asked about Mr. Elmas' failed prediction Operations Manager Alan Smith, said: "I am guessing that was a guess-timate."

He added: "You don't really know what's there until you get in.

"It's difficult for us to say when we are going to be finished for the simple reason we don't know what we are going to find when we go into each parish.

"Whereas with Belco you are either on or you are off. Their cable either breaks or it doesn't. Our cable can crack and create a problem. It's a different infrastructure."

The best the company could do was say which areas would be covered next, said Mr. Smith.

Meanwhile customers have been growing impatient.

One customer in St. George's said he was furious with CableVision for billing him after seven weeks of lost service in a parish which was supposed to be fixed.

"You can't get through to them," he said. "There's no response from my e-mail. Most people I know in St. George's don't have it. They insist St. George's is fine.

"Then, yesterday, I got a bill. What the hell is that?

"I can't see any company in Bermuda getting away with what they are getting away with. It's outrageous."

The customer, who wished to remain anonymous, said he was frustrated about missing sport.

"I wouldn't mind if they gave an estimate of when things would be fixed. I would stop worrying. Why can't they give an approximate date?"

Mr. Smith said main and branch cables could be easily checked and fixed but the storm had also sucked out connections to houses. Such faults were difficult to spot and could only be tackled when householders registered complaints.

"That's the reason we can't give accurate times as to when we will finish. I am very pleased with where we are right now.

"The day after the storm the only place that had cable was this office and even that wasn't complete."

Now, he claimed: "We have more people on than off.

"Obviously, I would like to apologise to the customers who don't have cable. It feels like a long time. It feels like a long time to us, too."

He said a deadline would come once he had fully assessed damage in the West End and a major line through Somerset was back up.

"For people who have been without since the storm in Sandys and Southampton, I really don't want to add to their frustration by giving them false hopes.

"We are working hard to get into Southampton and Sandys, that's our aim right now."

Crews are now working between Camp Hill, Warwick and Barnes' Corner.

"This is the first time CableVision has come through a hurricane of this devastation and they are doing really well."

Those in areas not yet being worked on need not call to register outages, said Mr. Smith, while those who had already logged complaints did not need keep reminding CableVision.

He said he knew customers without service were angry they had been billed for service which they hadn't had.

But, he said the firm's computerised system made it impossible to stop bills being sent and he reiterated that credits would be given for all lost service.

"We don't expect people to pay for service they didn't have."

Mr. Smith also denied people were cancelling service in frustration and switching to satellite rivals in big numbers.

"I have no worries. We have a good product which we are improving every day."