Local internet service provider North Rock Communications is moving in to the voice telecommunications market with plans to offer local telephone service over their wireless network.

North Rock reported yesterday that it would offer local voice service by the end of the year.

The news from the internet service provider (ISP) comes after The Royal Gazette reported this week that Telecommunications Minister Renee Webb had renewed calls for more competition in the voice telecommunications sector.

Ms Webb was speaking out after a number of companies complained about a slow response from the Bermuda Telephone Company to downed lines and disruption in service following an electrical storm earlier this week. BTC is currently the only company to offer local voice telecommunications service. "All this shows we need another option," Ms Webb said.

North Rock currently offers long distance telephone service and both dial-up and wireless Internet access to corporate and residential clients.

Although North Rock marketing manager Vicki Coehlo would not put a specific date on the company's roll-out of offering "competition in the local telephone marketplace", she said it would be in place by the end of the year.

Mrs. Coehlo added that the company has already obtained the necessary Telecommunications licenses to move forward with roll out of voice service.

The service will allow for simultaneous data and voice transmission with the end result that one can be online and talking on the telephone at the same time, Mrs. Coehlo said.

Mrs. Coehlo added that the wireless technology in force, which uses a licensed radio spectrum, will offer "good coverage" across the Island.

Meanwhile, North Rock reported that despite the electrical storm that hit the Island at the beginning of the week, its CONNECT high speed wireless Internet access customers had no interruption in their service.

It was also able to get a number of new customers up and running with the service after they were hit with interruptions in their wired service: "Due to the size of the CONNECT network and the ease of installation, by the end of Wednesday, North Rock had provisioned three new customers who had been completely down as a result of the storm," the firm said.