Rivals of Telstra have threatened to build their own fixed broadband network if the dominant carrier does not clarify plans for its own high-speed network, an AFP report said.
The AFP report said members of the nine Australian fixed-line telecoms companies not connected to Telstra told the Financial Times they would consider spending more than A$ 4 billion ($3 billion) to build the network.
The report quoted Optus CEO Paul O'Sullivan as saying that the telecoms groups would look at partnerships with specialist infrastructure financiers to pay for the network, which will be powered by fiber-to-the-node (FTTN) technology.
'We believe (it) could be financed as an infrastructure asset, much like assets such as gas pipelines and motorways, which attract substantial debt and equity financing in the financial markets,' O'Sullivan, in the report, said.
Telstra has plans for an FTTN network but is locked in a battle with Australia's competition watchdog over how much it can charge rival carriers to access the asset, reports said.
Then AFP report also quoted Macquarie Telecom CEO David Tudehope as saying that the broadband project could proceed without Telstra.
The Australian government wants to sell its remaining 51.8% stake in Telstra but protracted negotiations about the development of the broadband network has been one of a number of factors delaying the sell-off, the report further said.