the cost of overseas calls from the Island.

Mr. Michael Leverock has been overwhelmed by the interest shown by companies and individuals in Global Access Bermuda.

Mr. Leverock has described his service as "Christmas coming early'' to Bermudians who make large numbers of overseas calls.

GAB offers discounts of up to 47 percent on overseas calls compared to charges made by the Bermuda Telephone Company.

For example a 41 minute call to the United Kingdom would cost $5.72, a saving of 28 percent, $4.14 to the United States, a saving of 34 percent and $6.71 to France, a saving of 47 percent.

Bermudians are well accustomed to recent offers from the International Discount Telecommunications group of Brooklyn, New York.

But Mr. Leverock has stressed that GAB is a local organisation and can offer cheaper services.

It will be using a "callback'' system provided by the Telegroup Company in America, similar to the IDT system. It means callers will dial a number which rings once and then calls them back with an line to call the world.

Mr. Leverock said: "It uses the present system and will involve a $65 fee for residential customers and $150 for business customers. Unlike IDT there is no monthly or annual fee.

"Within a few months an individual will have paid back the original fee because of the saving they are making. It could be only a month before a company pays that fee back.'' Mr. Leverock said the system was not really new as many large companies all over the world have been using it. However he pointed out that it would be the first time that individuals in Bermuda were offered callback.

He said: "I found it pretty amazing when I first heard about it. Technically it has been around for a while and depends on fully automated computer technology.'' Even Mr. Leverock will only be working for GAB part-time until it takes off.

He will employ a small office staff and an independent representatives to help sell the system.

He said: "I have been overwhelmed by the amount of interest shown. We have seen a lot of people including individuals and companies.

"We would be happy with 10 percent of the market, but it is not impossible to see us getting 100 percent, although that is not something I thought about when I first set up the company, just over a month ago.'' Mr. Leverock refuses to discuss competition with Telco and IDT, and says that Telco and Cable & Wireless will not lose much business if GAB is a success.

But he is keen to highlight that compared to IDT, GAB will not be an offshore organisation and will offer Bermudian's bigger discounts and a better service because it is local.

GLOBAL GABBING -- Mr. Michael Leverock making a cheap overseas call.