SYDNEY -(Dow Jones)- A consortium vying to build a broadband network in Australia Tuesday called on the government to force the country's dominant telecommunications firm, Telstra, to provide more detailed information on its existing network.
The Optus-led G9 group said Telstra's network information, which will assist rival bidders in tendering to build the broadband network, is "next to useless".
The group said the government and opposition should pass legislation that forces Telstra to issue detailed information needed for "true competition" for the broadband network bid process.
"The G9 understands that the supposed network information that Telstra has voluntarily made available as part of the government's new network plans falls way short of the data needed by bidders and asked for by the government," Michael Simmons, bid manager for G9, said in a statement.
"Aside from a mathematical model, the only 'real world' data available is a set of street addresses for telephone exchange buildings and average distances for copper cables," he said. "This is next to useless for bidders wanting to provide detailed offers."
Telstra said Friday that it had lodged a A$5 million bidder's bond and handed over its network information to the government, kick-starting the tender process for the multibillion dollar national high-speed broadband network.
The government, which plans to contribute A$4.7 billion toward the national broadband project in a public-private partnership, has given interested parties until July 25 to lodge proposals.
Singapore Telecommunications' Australian unit, Optus, last month said the government's tender timeframe was "ridiculously short".
At least six parties have reportedly notified Communications Minister Stephen Conroy that they intend to take part in the tender to build the broadband network, including Telstra, the G9 consortium, Deutsche Telekom and Macquarie Group with contractor Leighton Holdings.
-By Iain McDonald, Dow Jones Newswires; 61-2-8235-2953; iain.mcdonald@dowjones.com
(END) Dow Jones Newswires
Posted to the site on 13th May 2008
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