At least 200 telephone numbers of the City of Espoo have been inaccessible from time to time in recent weeks. City residents have not always been able to get past the switchboard to reach doctors at municipal health clinics, for instance.
The problems began soon after the city changed its telephone service provider from Elisa to the present TDC Song. To implement the transition, a change in the switchboard system was also required.
Originally the new system was to have been ready by the beginning of the summer holiday season. Now Espoo believes that the installation work might not be finished before August.
Espoo arranged a bid for tenders for its telephone system in 2004. The winner in the competitive bidding was TDC Song. Espoo Mayor Marketta Kokkonen says that the change significantly cuts the city's data and telephone costs.
Kokkonen accuses Elisa of deliberately hampering the introduction of the new system.
"We have complained about the matter, and will continue to do so", Kokkonen said on Tuesday.
Sales Chief Jaakko Wallenius of Elisa denied suggestions of deliberate sabotage by a sore loser.
"Perhaps the technical solutions of the new operator are not compatible with the previous ones. Our agreement on the transitional period does not include a requirement that Elisa should adapt the systems to each other."
