A user from Brisbane measured 9817kbps @ Broadband Speedtest.
6 minutes ago, Click here to find out how fast your internet speed is.
Breaking News: eBay, Trading Post help catch tax cheats
ZDNet / Telstra / Story
Telstra may not allow government to call its lawyers
Topics
tender, telstra, rollout, rft, legal, government, fttn, broadband, atm, dbcde, law, paul budde, mark ganz, ibisworld, legislation, freehills, clayton utz, optus
Top related stories
The Department of Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy has issued a tender for substantial legal assistance ahead of the rollout of the national fibre-to-the-node network, but it may have a hard time finding a taker.
The Department is seeking a vendor to provide comprehensive legal support leading up to the rollout of the network, and is offering a 12 month contract to employ the services of a suitable law firm.
Documents attached to the tender state that the Department is seeking legal services from an organisation with "significant experience" in communications law, infrastructure projects, administrative law, construction law, complex litigation and dispute resolution.
Mark Ganz, senior industry analyst at research firm IBISWorld, believes that competition for the tender will be confined to Australia's six "top tier" law firms, an elite group including Freehills, Clayton Utz and Mallesons.
Ganz told ZDNet Australia that only the top tier firms have the resources to cover all of the legal areas associated with the rollout effectively, saying given their size and prestige, such firms can provide a "one stop shop" for matters associated with the project.
The government needs to get everything right because there's so many things that could go wrong
Mark Ganz, IBISWorld
"They'll probably provide extensive scenario analysis," said Ganz, who added that issues surrounding sub-loop unbundling -- a form of unbundling where the local loop is handed over by Telstra to other operators outside of a telephone exchange -- could cause the first legal storms to brew.
"There's no precedent for what would take place if the government allowed that particular change to go through ... so they need to make sure that the legal basis for this is sound, otherwise it could shelve all of their plans," he said.
Telecommunications expert Paul Budde has anticipated a looming legal battle between Telstra and the government ahead of the rollout, and suggested today that the government may have a hard time finding a top tier firm not already engaged with the telco, opening up potential conflicts of interest.
"It would almost definitely exclude several firms who work closely with Telstra," said Budde.
"Because Telstra has taken such a hard line approach towards the government and potential changes to regulation it will be very difficult for a firm closely associated with them to work on what is an extremely sensitive policy area with the government," he said.
IBISWorld's Ganz agreed that this is a possibility, but maintained that there are "ways around it" for any firm with ties to Telstra to also work with the Department.
"Most of the these firms have 10 or 15 partners in their communications law arms, if the government's chosen firm also had people working with Telstra you'd find they'd be separated, but that potential for conflict of interest is there," said Ganz.
"As far as legal matters go the government needs to get everything right because there's so many things that could go wrong."
Related stories
Talkback
Free Telstra?
It's interesting to hear the Telstra view straight from the horse's mouth, but let's get real:
"Telstra will provide honest and fierce competition to competitors" - there won't be any competitors in that case, because it would be a repeat of the HFC cable fiasco; and
"Telstra is prepared to supply access for opponents at a fair and reasonable price" - as determined by Telstra, which means no "opponent" would be able to market services at a price that would be accepted by consumers.
Telstra has form on this going back over many years.
Anonymous January 15th, 2008What a laugh
Telstra is whinging out of pure greed. For that I can't blame them because expanding a business and getting a return on investment is good business practice however Telstra have the knack of going too far with these things and they end up providing services that are under-spec at premium prices.
I would prefer to see either a G9-style business model introduced with FTTH (not FTTN) or at worst, two national networks with FTTH.
Time to catch up with and overtake other countries and start leading the world in communications instead of lagging behind like a one-legged bull ant tied to an anvil.
You might be a fan of Telstra but there are people who aren't. I wouldn't mind dealing with Telstra if they weren't so arrogant and condescending to their punters.
Please ignore my post further down - I pressed the wrong button.
Lord Watchdog January 15th, 2008What a laugh
Telstra is whinging out of pure greed. For that I can't blame them because expanding a business and getting a return on investment is good business practice however Telstra have the knack of going too far with these things and they end up providing services that are under-spec at premium prices.
I would prefer to see either a G9-style business model introduced with FTTH (not FTTN) or at worst, two national networks with FTTH.
Time to catch up with and overtake other countries and start leading the world in communications instead of lagging behind like a one-legged bull ant tied to an anvil.
You might be a fan of Telstra but there are people who aren't. I wouldn't mind dealing with Telstra if they weren't so arrogant and
Lord Watchdog January 15th, 2008Telstra's scare campaign
My phone is CDMA, I am not traveling as much as I used to so the network equivalence debate doesn't effect me much personally.
However, for the last six months or so Telstra has been sending me sms's and letters in an increasingly absolutist and insistent manner "warning" me of the changeover.
I don't suppose that anyone is surprised that they are trying to drive anyone they can away from the network before the debate if they are allowed to close it yet really gets underway, but I am sure that anyone on the network, who didn't know better has been prepared for the inevitability of the closure irrespective of telstra's commitments to regional Australia.
Anonymous January 15th, 2008Ho hum
Ah, so what is this fair and reasonable price Telstra bang on about?!? If it is indeed fair and reasonable, lets see it .... the only reason to hide it is if it is not fair :P
So let Telstra build it so they can gouge their much toted 47% ROI targets from Australian, but when they invest in Asia, they are happy to accept an 8% ROI?!? why the different expectations if Telstra have Australians best interest at heat ...
I await the horses mouth explanation (or will it be the other end ;) )
Concerned
Anonymous January 15th, 2008Power Centre Useful content from our premier sponsors
Resource Centre Useful content from our premier sponsors
-
Email is Dead, but can anything take its place?" Win one of 5 tickets to be part of the audience at this exclusive ZDNet debate
Find out more! Join the conversation and enter now to win. -
Get BlackBerry® Enterprise Server Express for Free
Click here to learn more about BlackBerry® Enterprise Server Express.
ZDNet Australia Live
RT @seesmic: Seesmic listed by @ZDNet - Top 25 Android apps: The best of the best http://ping.fm/goi9K
7 minutes ago by gxboard on twitter
Microsoft's Windows Phone 7 marketing pitch: 'I'm a phone too': We'll be really aggressively marketing Windows Pho... http://bit.ly/cYmvOo
7 minutes ago by ksgms2000 on twitter
News: Microsoft's Windows Phone 7 marketing pitch: 'I'm a phone too' #Geek #WebTech #News http://bit.ly/bdmUY0
7 minutes ago by SpammingReport on twitter
Apple or Jailbreakers: Who are you gonna hang with? http://bit.ly/bA7cI0
7 minutes ago by MyListBuildings on twitter
Microsoft's Ballmer: Windows 7 slates are 'job number one': Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer reiterated at FAM that the... http://bit.ly/cyqr98
17 minutes ago by n2tech on twitter
The Facebook imperative for enterprise software http://bit.ly/dm3GtZ
17 minutes ago by No1WebSource on twitter
Apple unveils Safari Extensions Gallery for extensions, updates for security http://bit.ly/aEpt6v
17 minutes ago by BuySuccessBooks on twitter
Microsoft's Windows Phone 7 marketing pitch: 'I'm a phone too' http://bit.ly/b0Z6aQ
22 minutes ago by zenman1328 on twitter
BlackBerry encryption 'too secure': National security vs. consumer privacy - http://bit.ly/cjBUzd
22 minutes ago by setatakahashi on twitter
BlackBerry encryption 'too secure': National security vs. consumer privacy: It's so secure, that tho... http://bit.ly/bxXN6J @sardarlawfirm
22 minutes ago by socialmedia_law on twitter
RT @ldignan: Microsoft's Windows Phone 7 marketing pitch: 'I'm a phone too' http://bit.ly/cYmvOo .. plays 2nd fiddle with "i" and phone
22 minutes ago by mrinaldesai on twitter
RT @TeamViewer: TeamViewer among 10 outstanding cross-platform apps according to ZDNet UK http://bit.ly/aNYpJ5 Thank you, Jack!
22 minutes ago by hourback on twitter
RT @seesmic: Seesmic listed by @ZDNet - Top 25 Android apps: The best of the best http://ping.fm/goi9K
22 minutes ago by CristianoDiaz on twitter
RT @EverythingMS: Microsoft Internet Explorer 9 beta due in September http://bit.ly/aJoGyu
22 minutes ago by brscad on twitter
Microsoft's Windows Phone 7 marketing pitch: 'I'm a phone too' http://bit.ly/cYmvOo
27 minutes ago by MatthewLinkedIn on twitter
Microsoft's Windows Phone 7 marketing pitch: 'I'm a phone too' http://bit.ly/cgwuDf
27 minutes ago by gabiurse on twitter
Microsoft's Windows Phone 7 marketing pitch: 'I'm a phone too': By Larry Dignan | July 29, 2010, 2:30pm PDT Micros... http://bit.ly/cYmvOo
27 minutes ago by InfoTechAds on twitter
Microsoft's Windows Phone 7 marketing pitch: 'I'm a phone too' http://bit.ly/bNdd9l
27 minutes ago by hugzdan on twitter
Microsoft's Windows Phone 7 marketing pitch: 'I'm a phone too': By Larry Dignan | July 29, 2010, 2:30pm PDT Micros... http://bit.ly/cYmvOo
27 minutes ago by IzzyGregorio on twitter
Microsoft's Windows Phone 7 marketing pitch: 'I'm a phone too': By Larry Dignan | July 29, 2010, 2:30pm PDT Micros... http://bit.ly/cYmvOo
27 minutes ago by prathamavatar on twitter
Microsoft's Windows Phone 7 marketing pitch: 'I'm a phone too': By Larry Dignan | July 29, 2010, 2:30pm PDT Micros... http://bit.ly/cYmvOo
27 minutes ago by Ambani_Mukesh on twitter
First impressions of Apple's refreshed desktop lineup http://bit.ly/cFScu9
27 minutes ago by Ipodcaraccess on twitter
http://bit.ly/beopRX accounting toolbar icons News and Other Resources | ZDNet
27 minutes ago by lchyna2hax6k on twitter
Microsoft's Windows Phone 7 marketing pitch: 'I'm a phone too': Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer gave analysts a glimps... http://bit.ly/cYmvOo
32 minutes ago by EDKADOPRO on twitter
"Not greatly dissimilar to the public jubilation felt at the end of the second World War, Sydney-siders ..." http://bit.ly/cTvyuB #reallysad
51 minutes ago by ronsondalby on twitter
Hilarious coverage of the iPhone 4 launch from the CNET guys. http://bit.ly/cTvyuB
56 minutes ago by joshgnosis on twitterWhat a sad way to live if the only joy in your life is to queue for a piece of defective technology sold by a vendor who accused his loya...
1 hour ago by fred9999 on iPhone 4 Australian launch: pictures
@Jetttje: outlook-alternatieven: http://www.zdnet.com.au/top-alternatives-to-microsoft-outlook-339295046.htm
5 hours ago by hansstavleu on twitter
RT @NASAWatch: NASA photos mooned in abandoned Maccas (LOIRP) http://bit.ly/arFI4Y
5 hours ago by Stratocumulus on twitter
http://bit.ly/9y8rsU Multimedia Toolbar Icons - Free Software Downloads - ZDNet Australia
6 hours ago by mpzcosehpamq4 on twitterI am happy to know I was right about predicting Symantec's stock price and the furture trend. As I have pointed out a few times, I th...
6 hours ago by strelaoz on iPhone midnight launches across AustraliaJust weirdly found out Michael Yell - Country and Regional Director for OEM, XSP and Services Business at Symantec Asia Pacific and Japan...
6 hours ago by strelaoz on iPhone midnight launches across AustraliaAs I have reported to Symantec Ethics about David Freer’s (VP, Symantec – Norton, APJ) misconducts (fraud, having dissented sex with ...
6 hours ago by strelaoz on iPhone midnight launches across AustraliaDavid Freer (VP, Symantec Consumer Business Units - Norton, APJ) is a BIG LIAR! He lied to me for more than two and half years for my tru...
6 hours ago by strelaoz on iPhone midnight launches across AustraliaMy speed is 33 807 I'm with bigpond cable
8 hours ago by francoo on Broadband SpeedtestThat is a beautiful boat,but, I'd still rather go to sea on a first flight 688 boat.Preferably the 689 if Clinton hadn't decommis...
9 hours ago by rogue689 on Get wet with submarine tech photosFor many other reasons, than just the net filter, the current has to go. Still, I wouldn't trust Abbot either. There are however chec...
10 hours ago by ian_from_oz on Conroy's filter masterstroke
RT: @zdnetaustralia: http://bit.ly/cJU6Mf We've added Virgin to our iPhone 4 pricing table comparison.. See which telco has the best deal.
10 hours ago by japha on twitter
Apple to look at iPhone 3G iOS 4 problems - Software - News http://bit.ly/cmaTAJ _ that's nice of them
11 hours ago by tim_butcher on twitterStop trying to dodge the filter issue, Conboy; it'll bite you in the **** whether you like it or not.
12 hours ago by Hyperion on Conroy pledges NBN map, same policies
Facebook va lansa un serviciu de răspunsuri la întrebările utilizatorilor http://bit.ly/aS4kLC
13 hours ago by adrian_silimon on twitter
Survey proves #AUS e-health demand http://j.mp/ah9Iwf /via @ZDNetAustralia
14 hours ago by ej_butler on twitterA "profound cultural change" is required for a truly open government http://bit.ly/bTht86 /via @zdnetaustralia #gov2au
14 hours ago by ej_butler on twitterAs one who has been as critical as any of the Sol era Telstra...as long as Telstra are leaving feasible room for profit margins for their...
14 hours ago by RS on Is Telstra the scorpion or the frog?David, while the popular opinion, at least in the eyes of Telstra opponents, is to use every devious argument to stifle the operations of...
14 hours ago by sydneyla on Is Telstra the scorpion or the frog?Question two: What is stopping.... "AUSTRALIANS could save up to $1.9 billion a year in travel costs, petrol and time if they spent h...
14 hours ago by Vasso Massonic on Is Telstra the scorpion or the frog?
Survey proves e-health demand: NEHTA http://itrau.com/bt9f8w via @ZDNetAustralia
15 hours ago by AUTechNews on twitterDavid, please elaborate on Telstra's response, stating competitors could gain network access for "as Little as $2.50 a month...
15 hours ago by Vasso Massonic on Is Telstra the scorpion or the frog?RT @zdnetaustralia: Survey by NEHTA proves there is a demand for e-health http://bit.ly/bXuT1K
15 hours ago by joshgnosis on twitter
RT @zdnetaustralia: Telstra cops $18.55 million fine for exchange capping http://bit.ly/9cL91V
15 hours ago by crupaul on twitter
RT @zdnetaustralia: Survey by NEHTA proves there is a demand for e-health http://bit.ly/bXuT1K #yam
15 hours ago by johnnysd on twitter
A good read..RT @zdnetaustralia: Is Telstra the scorpion or the frog? http://bit.ly/cSgC31
15 hours ago by awmitchell on twitterRT @zdnetaustralia: eBay and the Trading Post online help the Australian Taxation Office catch tax cheats http://bit.ly/dBDXRz
15 hours ago by crupaul on twitterim gonna get it, if i dont like it i flush it down the toilet i dont care im rich, yeah you negative people should get a life
15 hours ago by booostking on Date set for Aussie iPhone 4 releaseUmm, what is wrong with these two, chronological sentences from above, from Paul Fletcher? "We are deeply concerned that the new pro...
15 hours ago by RS on Lundy vs. Ludlam, Fletcher: election debate
RT @zdnetaustralia Tesltra tweaks its data plans for all smartphones (not just the iPhone 4) http://bit.ly/bxO0G2
15 hours ago by MacGirlUK on twitterRT @zdnetaustralia: Is Telstra the scorpion or the frog? http://bit.ly/cSgC31
16 hours ago by MacGirlUK on twitter
@mibus http://www.zdnet.com.au/commbank-dives-into-580m-banking-it-revamp-339288467.htm
16 hours ago by jamezpolley on twitter
The tech keeping Plastiki afloat: photos: ZDNet Australia brings you the tech below deck on the epic Plastiki voyage. http://bit.ly/aTj1QU
16 hours ago by tessa_alfred on twitter
http://bit.ly/cJU6Mf We've added virgin to our iPhone 4 pricing table comparison.. See which telco has the best deal.
17 hours ago by zdnetaustralia on twitterTelstra boosts smartphone data: In a few hours, Apple's hyped iPhone 4 handset will launch in Australia. But Telst... http://bit.ly/a3E7wi
17 hours ago by tessa_alfred on twitterThis story has been liked 5 times in the last 24 hours!
1 day ago, Australia's iPhone 4 pricing comparedKeep up with ZDNet Australia
Linkedin 
RSS Feeds 
Newsletters 
Twitter 
| Telstra BigPond | 37 plans |  1% |
| Optus | 76 plans |  2% |
| 3 | 9 plans | 1% |
| Virgin Mobile | 7 plans | 4% |
| Netspace | 36 plans | 1% |
| Mobile Broadband Plans | 8% |
| ADSL2+ Broadband Plans | 5% |
| Cable Broadband Plans | 4% |
| Naked DSL Broadband Plans | 1% |
| ADSL Broadband Plans | 6% |
Mobile Phones | Broadband
CBS - ZDNET Australia Partner ServicesSponsored resources
- HP Conquer - Conquer IT with HP BladeSystem.
- Citrix - Download Citrix NetScaler, the ultimate all-in-one Web app delivery solution. Simplicity is Power.
- Optus Micro-Sim - The tablet ready Optus Micro-Sim is here. Register now.
- Virgin Mobile - Virgin Mobile's new Smart Caps with unlimited standard text to any mobile in OZ from $29.
- ZDNet Survey - Complete survey for your chance to win a smartphone!
- "Email is Dead, but can anything take its place?" - Win one of 5 tickets to be part of the audience -- 12th of August 2010
Yawn
"If monopoly is a concern Telstra is prepared to supply access for opponents to the FTTN at a fair and reasonable price."
Define "fair and reasonable". Both of those terms have a different meaning with Telstra.
You may as well stop wasting your time Sydney - Telstra aren't going to build this network and they won't get any support from the Government. Telstra have no one to blame but themselves.
Constitutional interpretation.
Anonymous (yawn) what say we all sit back and wait for the High Court of Australia to judge on what is "fair and reasonable" with respect of the ACCC acquisition of Telstra property. The question is not the ability of Government to acquire property but the fact that under the Australian Constitution fair and reasonable restitution must be given for such acquisition.
Pfft
Acquisition implies ownership, so does that mean Telstra won't be charging ISPs a monthly fee ... because a monthly fee implies ownership by those collecting the fee ....
So, how much does it cost Telstra to generate a bill? Since line rental is meant to cover maintainence and any other costs associated with the line ...
Hmmmm