Since last week, hundreds of UT students and employees have been left without an internet connection. The cause: a conflict between internet provider Eager Telecom and network operator KPN Telecom. According to KPN, Eager Telecom owes 95,000 euros.
Last Monday, KPN Telecom decided to disconnect the UT's ADSL lines. From that moment on, users of this service - both students and employees - were disconnected from the internet. The UT immediately objected to KPN's actions. It also founded an emergency response team, consisting of ITBE and SNT employees, to discuss alternatives for the lost connections. Roger Quaedvlieg, coordinator for workplace management and information, is a member of the response team: `It is a very annoying situation, especially for people working from home. We estimate about a thousand people use the ADSL lines. We are currently negotiating with Eager Telecom and are confident that it can soon resume its service.'
There is a temporary solution for the victims. Quaedvlieg reports, `People can use dial-up to connect to the internet. Information on how to do that can be found on the websites of both ITBE and SNT. It is an emergency situation.' If the dialogue between the UT and Eager Telecom leads to nothing, the response team will start looking for an alternative. `In that case, we want to distri-bute a short questionnaire on the exact needs of the customer, so that we can make a wise choice of a new internet provider.'
Trans. Jeroen Latour
