[LINK] Telstra's NBN bid rejected

[Bernard Robertson-Dunn]

Telstra's NBN bid rejected
Allison Jackson
December 15, 2008
The Australian IT
http://www.australianit.news.com.au/story/0,24897,24800767-15306,00.html

The Federal Government has excluded Telstra from the bidding process to 
build a national broadband network.

In a statement to the stock exchange, Telstra said it had been excluded 
from the bidding process because its proposal submitted on November 26 
did not include a plan on how to involve small and medium-sized 
enterprises in the building of the network.

Telstra chairman Donald McGauchie said the reason for its exclusion was 
“trivial”.

“Telstra is the only company to have submitted a proposal with a real 
financial commitment - of $5 billion. And Telstra is the only company 
with the existing network, technical know-how, world-leading vendor, 
skilled workforce, established wholesale systems and proven track record 
of building world-class networks,” Mr McGauchie said.

“The Commonwealth could hardly have dreamed up a more trivial reason to 
exclude Telstra from the NBN. This is a process that seemingly excludes 
bidders on such trivial and legally questionable technicalities, but 
doesn’t take any action on material issues such as financing and having 
the technical capability to build the network.

Telstra said it had fully complied with the “request for proposals” 
requirements, which, it said, had required a plan for small and 
medium-sized enterprises to be lodged as part of the proposal.

“Telstra provided its SME plan to the Government in early December and, 
in Telstra’s view, in accordance with the RFP (request for proposals),” 
said Mr McGauchie.

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Regards
brd

Bernard Robertson-Dunn
Canberra Australia
brd at iimetro.com.au