Brazil's Olympic Host Rio De Janeiro Has Phones Cut Due To Unpaid Bills

The state government of Rio de Janeiro, "which is feverishly preparing for next year's Olympic Games, has failed to pay its phone and Internet bills, triggering a cutoff in service," according to Eisenhammer & Haynes of REUTERS. Brazilian telecom firm Oi SA said that "it had cut the lines after the state government racked up debt" of R$170M ($55.7M) in unpaid Internet and telephone bills. Oi said, "This total (170 million reais) includes bills, which were due over three years ago." It added that it had "for months been trying to negotiate payment with the government." The cuts to the lines "did not affect vital services such as the fire service, schools or hospitals." A spokesperson for the state government confirmed that "the lines had been cut, but contested the debt figure and added that Oi also owed the state money." The spokesperson said negotiations between the state and the company were "advanced" (REUTERS, 4/17).