Sri Lanka"s first Internet service provider was set up in 1994 by a group of Sri Lankans residing in the US and Colombo-based investors. Since 1994, more than 25 Internet service providers have started operations in Sri Lanka for a combined 130,000 customers, according to official figures. The original ISP, Lanka Internet Services Limited, has halted its services after hitting financial difficulty. The senior management disappeared without paying staff or creditors. To make matters worse, thousands of customers have been left stranded without an Internet connection. "An estimated 3,000 to 4,000 of its clients have been affected with the abrupt closing of the business and were caught off guard by the loss of their services," said a privately-run Sunday Times newspaper.