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'Hire us for free', NBN chief told

National Broadband Network (NBN) chief executive Mike Quigley today said he had turned down workers who had attempted to offer their services for free to build the Federal Government's National Broadband Network (NBN).
Written by Ben Grubb, Contributor

National Broadband Network (NBN) chief executive Mike Quigley today said he had turned down workers who had attempted to offer their services for free to build the Federal Government's National Broadband Network (NBN).

"Believe it or not we almost had people — we did have some people — who just wanted to work for the company, and said 'We don't mind if you don't give us a salary'," Quigley told an American Chamber of Commerce meeting in Sydney this afternoon.

"We didn't accept their kind offers, but that's the kind of enthusiasm we [are getting]."

Mike Quigley

NBN chief Mike Quigley
(Credit: Ben Grubb/ZDNet Australia)

Proof the NBN is viable?

In his opening speech, Quigley also showed graphs, which the company had developed to demonstrate that the NBN would be financially viable. It's been a topic the Opposition has often raised with the Federal Government because of the lack of a cost-benefit analysis for the network's construction. Quigley said this month that such an analysis would be completed by the end of this month.

NBN Co's proof the network is financially viable

NBN Co's proof the network is financially viable
(Credit: Ben Grubb/ZDNet Australia)

"This in an example," Quigley said, referring to a slide he showed the audience. "In our calculations, which are reasonably sensitive and conservative, before we reach the end of the construction we become EBITDA positive."

Quigley said the slides were "just illustrative" and that people shouldn't "read anything into" them.

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