According to the Federal Government, the proposals are to include a plan for small businesses to assist in building the network. Telstra has forgotten to do this in the thirteen-page proposal and is now denying claims of ever doing so, saying the plan was submitted in December; late of the 26th November deadline for proposals. Despite this, Telstra chief executive Sol Trujillo said the government could still choose Telstra and the telco’s chairman Mr Donald McGauchie is continuing to push Telstra’s viability for the NBN:

“Telstra is the only company to have submitted a proposal with a real financial commitment – of $5 billion,”

The Federal Government is laughing back with today’s strong response from Communications Minister Conroy:

“Industry was offered the chance to compete on a level playing field under the request for proposal process. However, the Telstra Board sought special treatment by proposing its own process.”

Conroy continued to point out the cockiness of Telstra’s proposal bid.

“Telstra’s board will have to explain to its shareholders why it has decided to sideline itself from a process that will shape the Australian communications sector for the next decade,” and adding that “The government’s NBN process has always been bigger than Telstra.”

The panel has until late January to make recommendations to the government on who out of the five remaining contenders should be handed the job of building the network, into which taxpayers will invest $4.7 billion.