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Optus slams Telstra's broadband bid

Posted November 27, 2008 07:21:00

Rival contenders for the national broadband network say the Government cannot consider Telstra's proposal as it stands.

The deadline for tenders to build the network closed yesterday.

Telstra submitted a proposal, but said it would not submit a full bid, as required by the Government, because there were still substantial issues which needed to be addressed.

The Government says Telstra's offering will be considered along with the other bids.

But Optus's director of government affairs Maha Krishnapillai says Telstra's proposal is a 13-page press release which does not compare to Optus's own 900-page bid.

"While we don't know exactly what's happened in terms of their bid, we do know that it is absolutely clear that there are no legal, nor government process grounds for the Government to consider a proposal of 13 pages by the expert panel in order to build a broadband network," he said.

He says Telstra's proposal cannot be considered in its current format.

Communications Minister Stephen Conroy says a tender panel will decide on the validity of Telstra's proposal.

"It's not a question of Stephen Conroy can intervene at this stage in the process," he said.

"We clearly stated that the expert panel would begin stage two of the process then make a recommendation to the Government, which will be the final stage of the process.

"So the expert panel will now consider this using exactly the same conditions and rules as it will the other proposals that have been submitted."

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