Thodey said Telstra was still debating whether or not to phase out copper connections in the areas housing roughly 7% of Australia's population not slated to receive fiber, and rely instead on the satellite and wireless alternatives planned for under the project.
The company plans to make a decision on pricing of NBN services based on the results of the trial, a Telstra spokesperson told the Australian.
Telstra inherited Australia's largest copper network upon its privatization beginning in 1997. Its competitors have long accused it of setting wholesale access prices that serve to limit effective competition. The NBN is partly an attempt by the government to level the playing field.
Currently four operators – iiNet, Internode, Exetel and Primus Telecom – are offering retail services at speeds of up to 100Mbps through the NBN. The first of these commenced in July.
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