Terria, Axia, TransACT submit NBN bids

update Broadband consortium Terria, Canberra telco TransACT and Canadian giant Axia Netmedia this afternoon confirmed they had submitted National Broadband Network bids shortly before the government's deadline of 12 midday.

"I can confirm that we have submitted an NBN bid. We are in the process of issuing a news release shortly," an Axia spokesperson told ZDNet.com.au shortly after midday.

Terria confirmed its bid via a statement issued to the Australian Securities Exchange. "Optus and the Terria consortium are delighted to rise to the challenge," said Optus chief executive Paul O'Sullivan.

Paul O'Sullivan, Optus CEO
(Credit: Optus)

No further details were available regarding the Axia bid. Optus appears to have created a separate company, dubbed 'Optus Network Investments' (ONI) to lodge the bid.

"The Terria board resolved that Optus (ONI) would lodge the NVN bid since that is in the best interests of Terria and the achievement of the Terria principles developed by all members over the past 12 months," said Terria chairman Michael Egan.

Terria has not made its bid publicly available, but said it would be structured according to four principles; structural separation of the operator of the network from retail providers, open access to all, cost-based pricing plus a reasonable rate of return, and a strong oversight role by the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission

Canberra-based telco TransACT submitted a bid that proposes to provide fast broadband services to more than 98 per cent of homes and businesses in the territory at speeds of up to 100Mbps.

"If successful, TransACT would start rolling out a fibre-rich network immediately with an estimated completion time of less than five years," the telco said in a statement issued shortly after the NBN bid deadline closed at midday. TransACT has a substantial amount of existing fibre and other broadband assets in the state.

The statement added that TransACT's bid would deliver assurance that the ACT would be a priority in the NBN roll-out, and would additionally deliver "affordable entry-level prices" due to TransACT's unique business model.

Telstra has submitted what appeared to be a non-compliant NBN bid, while others such as Acacia and the Tasmanian state government are yet to confirm they have submitted bids.