Stephen Conroy (Victoria, Australian Labor Party, Deputy Leader of the Government in the Senate) Share this | Hansard source

I thank Senator Polley for her ongoing interest in this issue. Today I am pleased to both welcome and announce to the chamber that Telstra and NBN Co. have finalised the key commercial terms to allow for the more efficient rollout of the National Broadband Network. Today’s announcement represents a big step towards bringing affordable high-speed broadband to every home, school, hospital and small business in Australia—no matter where they are located. The commercial terms pave the way for a final agreement to allow NBN Co. to use Telstra’s assets to rollout the NBN and for Telstra to decommission its copper network.

In support of these arrangements, the government and Telstra have reached in-principle agreement for the package of measures announced by the government last June. These measures will facilitate the transition of the NBN and they include a public information campaign to inform people about the migration of services from the copper based network to the NBN, assistance to retrain Telstra’s workforce to deploy the NBN, and implementing the government’s reforms to deliver the universal service obligation and other public-interest services.

The deal also provides certainty for consumers. It means that people will continue to have access to their fixed-line voice services, including in areas where the NBN will be delivered by non-fibre technologies. People will continue to have access to payphone services. Universal access payphones will continue to be available and they will be funded in the public interest rather than in the commercial interest of Telstra. (Time expired)