A handful of wireless Internet customers in the Vicksburg area will soon lose service, but the company that provides it said it is offering a package of alternatives.

The Web site of the City of Vicksburg notified users the webcams that show live views of the Art Park at Catfish Row and of downtown Vicksburg were off line for an undetermined period of time. The cameras worked on a wireless Internet service.

Also, Herman Smith, superintendent and secretary of the Vicksburg Bridge Commission, said he had received a letter about three weeks ago saying that XFONE USA, the Jackson-based company that bought out Canufly.net of Vicksburg in February 2006, was planning to discontinue the wireless service the commission uses as of Tuesday.

Although that may be true, said Ted Parsons, executive vice president of XFONE USA in Jackson, the company is not leaving Vicksburg, and is actually expanding its services here.

Parsons explained XFONE inherited the wireless service when it acquired Canufly.net.

&#8220He was trying to fill a need,” Parsons said of the wireless service first put together by Michael Nassour who founded Canufly.net.

But, Parsons said, the new company has faced problems servicing the equipment and issues in maintaining service because of the irregular terrain around Vicksburg. Because of the problems, he said the company could not provide the quality of service wanted today.

&#8220We identified all out residential and business customers (for the wireless service) and our sales people began calling on them back in October,” he said, adding those customers were offered the alternative of using XFONE’s other Internet connection services or switching to another provider.

The total number of customers affected by the decision made by XFONE is 85 and that includes both business and residential customers, Parsons said. The breakdown is 60 business clients and 25 residential.

Bill Ford, an information technology specialist with the city, said the decision by XFONE will only cause an inconvenience in the city’s computer operations and that alternatives remain.

Internet service providers (ISPs) offer a variety of connections including wireless, dial-up, cable modem and satellite connections to the World Wide Web. Most residences in the area have dial-up connections, which also offer XFONE and myriad other providers.