Alcatel continues fibre push

That network is currently the subject of discussions between the nation's competition regulator and Telstra, with Alcatel standing to gain a substantial amount of revenue if the deal is brokered.

The vendor's global president and chief operating officer Mike Quigley will meet the press this Wednesday to discuss the nation's need for a new broadband network.

Quigley's visit follows a February trip down under where he was reported to have met with regulators and senior politicians to push Telstra's case to keep its rivals from immediately gaining access to the new network as they do its current copper.

It is likely this week's visit will see the Alcatel president conduct similar talks. Quigley's visit comes at a critical time as Telstra and the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission have been reported to be close to finalising a deal under which Telstra would build the network.

In addition, the federal government is reported to be considering how to regulate Telstra as it prepares to sell the remainder of its stake in the telco in a process known as "T3". Any deal on a new fibre network will affect that debate as well as having implications for the nation's budget, due to be released tomorrow.

Quigley will meet the press flanked by executives from publisher Fairfax Digital and digital media agency Mediazoo. Both companies' long-term success is tied to the nation's uptake of broadband technologies.

Consultant KPMG will also be in attendance. The company recently compiled a report in association with Alcatel claiming to identify regulatory levers that could be used to encourage investment in broadband infrastructure.