Briefs: U.K. satellite broadband firm goes dark
January 27, 2006Aramiska, a company that provides broadband Internet service via satellite to rural Britain, shut down unexpectedly Friday.
The company posted a note on its Web site announcing it would halt Internet access as of Friday but offered no reason for the termination.
The Register said Friday it, too, had not been able to immediately contact Aramiska for comment; however, it noted that subscribers had no inkling the plug was about to be pulled.
Aramiska's satellite broadband delivery was the only option for many British small businesses located in rural areas where landline broadband isn't available. In addition, Aramiska provides -- or provided -- backhaul service for a number of smaller community broadband networks, according to the Web site ADSLguide.
The site also said the ISP Scotnet was offering three free months of its ADSL service for Aramiska clients caught in a lurch.
Copyright 2006 by United Press International
