More than a quarter of people surveyed believe Telstra will assume control of the $43 billion National Broadband Network (NBN).
Despite the government having initially capped private investment in the company that will build and operate the NBN at 49 per cent, an Essential Research survey released this week showed 26 per cent of people believed Telstra would be in charge.
The figure is only slightly less than the 27 per cent of respondents who think the government will run the NBN.
It may be the case that Australia's largest telco does eventually assume ownership with the government intending to sell down its 51 per cent controlling interest in the company within five years after the network is built. The build is expected to take eight years.
Just six per cent of those surveyed believe Telstra's rival Optus, or another telco, will run the NBN. The survey comes as Telstra faces the separation of its wholesale and retail arms as part of sweeping reforms of the telco sector.
While the government maintains the reforms are about improving competition in the sector, it also desires Telstra assets to build the NBN.
Telstra chief financial officer John Stanhope recently said structural separation could be a "win-win" for shareholders and that the telco would consider selling assets to the NBN for cash.
The online survey of 1,043 people also showed that 65 per cent of respondents thought it was important the NBN was built, compared to 26 per cent who believed it was not important. Eight per cent of respondents said they did not know if Australia should have a high-speed broadband network.
I thought that a wholesaler wasn't allowed to be a retailer?? If this is the case then Telstra cant do both