TWO of the state's internet service providers have differing views of the federal government's $43 billion national broadband network (NBN) plan and what it means for their business.
TWO of the state's internet service providers have differing views of the federal government's $43 billion national broadband network (NBN) plan and what it means for their business.
TWO of the state's internet service providers have differing views of the federal government's $43 billion national broadband network (NBN) plan and what it means for their business.
While the finer details of the network have yet to be finalised, iiNet chief regulatory officer Steve Dalby is excited by the opportunities the NBN will bring for the company.
"It excites us because it gives us opportunities to innovate and develop something that nobody else might be doing in the marketplace, so when you differentiate your offering you're more competitive," Mr Dalby said.
The NBN will also allow iiNet to offer a broader range of products to regional areas, which is dominated by Telstra due to the monopoly on the backhaul lines - the big fibre links that connect towns.
Mr Dalby said that, with the potential market expansion in regional areas, the company was likely to hire more people as it builds its customer base, which currently stands at 723,000 nationally.
For the time being, it will be business as usual for iiNet, but Mr Dalby added the provider had not ruled out investing in the new private-public company to oversee the NBN.
Meantime, Eftel chief executive John Lane has expressed some trepidation about the new NBN plan
Mr Lane believes the final version of the plan could be different to the one revealed last week, given that Telstra has set up a special committee to negotiate with the government regarding the new plan.
He said the company, which has around 50,000 broadband customers, was adopting a wait-and-see approach and was in constant communication with the Tasmanian government.
Eftel has a large customer base in Tasmania, which is the first state where the NBN will be rolled-out.
"We're monitoring developments closely in Tasmania and if there's an opportunity [to roll-out services] for us we'll take it, but its very early days," Mr Lane said.
Eftel has provided internet services in Tasmania for eight years.