Austar Axia NetMedia and Telstra to share NBN roles

Split into Retail and Wholesale divisions and we’ll give you the option to buy 49% of the NBN. Maybe not quite that easy, however it’s been stated that Communications Minister Stephen Conroy and the Federal Government will offer Telstra the option to buy a 49% stake in the National Broadband Network if they structurally separate, or should I say functionally separate.

Dangling a lucrative NBN carrot such as the opportunity to own 49 percent of Australia’s next big thing since the Snowy Hydro Hydro Electricity Project will give incoming Telstra CEO David Thodey and the Telstra Board something to think about. It’s not just separation that they will need to consider, moreover this could very well mean that Telstra may have to hand over its existing fibre network among other goodies.

In other related NBN news, it appears that AUSTAR is also vying for a piece of the action. The regional Pay TV Provider has indicated that they have already held informal talks with the Federal Government regarding their wireless communication spectrum and how it could become a vital instrument for the National Broadband Network program.

AUSTAR currently holds a 2.3Ghz and 3.5Ghz band radio spectrum licence for regional Australia until 2015 which they purchased back in 2000 for $140 million. A Wireless and WiMax solution for many rural sectors of Australia could play a pivotal role in delivering high speed broadband Internet, voice and high definition TV services to these regions, especially using the soon to be obsolete analogue TV towers that are left behind.

Meanwhile, failed NBN bidding participant, Axia NetMedia, might not be out of the race just yet. In a Request For Proposals debriefing held recently, Axia NetMedia Global Development and Marketing Vice President ‘Mark Blake’ did not strike out his company’s potential inclusion into, at least, some of the NBN’s construction.

Although tight lipped on outcomes of the debriefing, Mr Blake did suggest that citing certain elements of their recent NBN proposal, he remained confident that specific parts could be used in the upcoming $43 Billion NBN. Furthermore, he admitted that the opportunity for participation had now become more possible, opposed to less.

Could it be likely that Axia NetMedia, like AUSTAR and Telstra, play a major role in the upcoming NBN construction process? From the sounds of Mark Blake, you’d be likely to think as much.

Keep informed with all the important news on the upcoming 100Mbps National Broadband Network right here at the Youcompare Blogs.