Fed: Telstra excluded from broadband project=2

AAP General News (Australia)
12-15-2008
Fed: Telstra excluded from broadband project=2

"The decision to exclude us from the RFP (request for proposal) is the commonwealth's
decision to make," Telstra chairman Donald McGauchie said.

But Mr McGauchie also disputed the reasoning for the telco's exclusion from the tender
process, contending that it fully complied with the proposal requirements.

The government had used a peripheral issue to exclude Telstra, he 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.

"What is even stranger is that the minister has ample powers to accept Telstra's SME
plan under the RFP and have his expert panel get on with a process that includes Telstra."

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KEYWORD: BROADBAND TELSTRA 2 CANBERRA

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