Australia: Minister brushed aside comments from former Telstra CEO who doubted the national broadband network would ever be built

[Australian IT] COMMUNICATIONS Minister Stephen Conroy has brushed aside comments from former Telstra chief Sol Trujillo who questioned whether the Government's $43 billion national broadband network would ever see the light of day.

Mr Trujillo gave himself an early-mark from his CEO duties when he quietly left the country last week to return to his native US. He was due to finish his role on June 30.

Former Telstra Enterprise and Government boss, David Thodey, immediately replaced Mr Trujillo.

Telstra was spectacularly dumped from the Government’s original NBN plans last December but was thrown a life line in April when the Prime Minister announced new plans for a fibre-to-the-home network.

But yesterday, Mr Trujillo expressed doubts about whether the new NBN would ever be completed.

"I haven't (commented on the proposal) and I won't," he told The Australian.

"I'll comment in four or five years. Let's see if it ever happens. We'll draw a conclusion if it happens."

Senator Conroy was unperturbed by the former CEO’s comments saying that the Government was looking forward to discussing the NBN with Telstra’s newly elected executive.

"Sol Trujillo is a former CEO of Telstra and is entitled to his comments, just like Ziggy Switkowski, another former Telstra CEO who has been extremely positive about the National Broadband Network," Senator Conroy said.

"The Government is interesting in looking to the future and working with the current executive and chair of Telstra in a constructive way."

But Opposition communications spokesman Nick Minchin backed Mr Trujillo’s remarks.

"Sol Trujillo knows better than most that rolling out a fibre to the premise network in Australia has never been a commercially viable proposition and cannot be done without considerable expense to taxpayers," Senator Minchin told The Australian.

Senator Conroy said the Government had received strong support from the private sector and its potential involvement in the NBN.

"Already there have been strong statements from players within the telecommunications sector about the attractive nature of the opportunity and the potential to become involved," Senator Conroy said.

Conroy dismisses Sol's NBN barb