A new view on communications
Filed under: business, corporate, innovation, social media
Telstra CEO David Thodey explains why Telstra Exchange is more than just a blog.
Transcript:
Welcome to Telstra Exchange – our innovative new website where all Australians can exchange views about communications and technology.
Telstra Exchange is a blogging website… But it’s more than that. It’s a symbol, too, of our new approach to communications here at Telstra.
That means it’s a place for you to tell us how you feel, especially about innovation and technology.
- Which products and services make the biggest difference to your life?
- How can communications be used to make Australia a better place?
- What new products or services would you like to make your life simpler and easier?
These are some of the issues we’ll cover here in the coming months.
And your comments will help us plan for the future, and make decisions, that improve the types of products and services we offer all Australians.
That’s why we want to hear from you.
Telstra is a great Australian company – but we can do better by knowing what you want.
First, we need to listen …and Telstra Exchange is our listening post.
And now, it’s over to you.
Since when did Telstra join forces with Big Pond? Anyway, why is Telstra/Big Pond so expensive when Telsra own all the phone lines? For a basic wireless 3Gb wireless connection, speed – 512/128kbps, download limit 5GB other providers offer this for $29 a month. Telstra/Big Pond are $49 a month?
Sorry but I dont get it, can someone please explain?
Jenny,
The other providers (overseas multinationals mostly) are increasing their profits whilst Telstra’s profits are going down. Telstra has to plan, install and maintain almost all the copper network in Australia. The overseas multinationals do not build it or maintain it since our famous ACCC (G. Samuels) regulated Telstra to give away its network capacity for practically nix. So overseas companies stopped spending money here on cable infrastructure and what they did install is left to rot in the ground because it is cheaper to use Telstra’s.
Telstra, I think, are not allowed to drive the overseas competitors out so they are stuck with the situation. Telstra has to look after ALL Australia (unprofitable or not). They have to try and make a profit so what do they do? It seems they have to penalise its own customers to the benefit of the overseas telcos. If the playing field was level, all telcos would be forced to compete fairly. Then Telstra would really shine!
That is the way I see it, I would love to hear some facts and views on this.
Bill, the poor soul cannot distinguish between a network built by professionals (Telstra) and a bunch of jacks of all trades and masters of none.
I never try reasoning with village idiots. Always remenber…….
‘Illegitimi non carborundum’
Edna & Fred Leech. I am with you all the way!
I am outraged with all the so called Australians who are instrumental and complicit in destroying a great Australian icon company.
I’m just an ‘ordinary Joe’ but as I see it, Telstra is competing against insidious and very powerful overseas forces. It is impossible to tell how they operate here in Australia – but they have been very successful to date, just look at the result. Who would have thought that Telstra could have been reduced to the state it finds itself in today?
But, with some support now coming from the Conservative ranks, I live in hope!
There are many Telstra knockers that call themselves patriotic Australians and it’s called the ‘tall poppy syndrome’. See how they feel if they are left with Optus, Vodafone, Hutchison, 3 etc to look after their telecommunications!
Jenny you get what you pay for, simple really. When my neighbour purchased his Bentley I asked why he paid so much for a motor car and he told me that life was to short to drink the house wine. Quality does cost a little more.
Edna and Fred it is good that you question the blackmail and threat that is directed at Telstra for the sole purpose of removing Telstra from providing competition for the Government NBN Co. Those interested in obtaining a fair go for Telstra can rest assured that the legal aspects of the situation will be closely examined by the Telstra legal department.
It is a fact that the Howard Government was not to be admired for its attitude to Telstra and you are correct that it is of little use looking to an Opposition leader for succour, but at some stage that Opposition leader will become the Prime Minister and Australia’s leader. I think we should wait and hope for a satisfactory negotiated result, and if this is not to be, organise ourselves for a protest meeting at Parliament House, Canberra before the next election.
On thing we do have to be vigilant for is the agent provocateurs who masquerade as Telstra supporters when really, by their history, they wish Telstra harm and should be revealed for the cunning trouble makers they are.
Conspiracy theory # 10 Bill. Ooh…
I think we have actually found someone who can out Sydney and out Vasso, in relation to ridiculous, well… everything, lol…
Well it unanimous.
Telstra exchange is simply NWAT revisited. Well this thread is anyway. I thought this was meant for comms discussion (a view on communications)?
But like NWAT which turned into a political Howard hate fest, when bitter shareholders blamed him, TE has done the same, with the same players but different target, now Rudd. OMG…
http://www.theaustralian.com.au/business/industry-sectors/coalition-looking-to-telstra-for-poll-boost/story-e6frg9hx-1225837521234
Check this, the 2nd last paragraph for a NWAT blast from the past, lol…
6/3/10 – “I always voted Labor, but because of the way this government is treating Telstra, I will vote Liberal for the first time,” Melbourne engineer F*rnando *ias wrote.
More shareytales. When I first started posting on NWAT, 12 months ago (following Telstra non-compliant bid, but well before talks of Telstra separation etc) the above NWAT disciple, was already referring to Rudd as red Rudd and whatever else.
Can you NWAT rejects, ever tell the truth!
Jenny, it does seem very odd but the powers that be, decide what’s mindlessly good for us and our Industry.
Let me explain. The telecommunications watchdog, aka Graeme Samuel, the ACCC supremo decides on the regulated wholesale rate that must be offered to Telstra’s, shall we say ‘competitors’, (there are 600 hundred of them). Clearly, a rate that is below the cost of Telstra maintaining its aged copper network, let alone, providing services in terms of its Universal Service Obligations, meaning providing services to hundreds of outlying areas where ‘competitors’ don’t venture because there is no easy money for them. Hence, Telstra is lumbered with that part of its business and the likes of you, me and Telstra shareholders carry the ‘shortfall’ can.
As it happens, the following may elucidate this, age old, folly further:
“iPrimus’ cheapest copper network ADSL2+ is $30 a month on a 3GB download quota, which is provided over Telstra’s unbundled local loop at a cost of $16.70 per month in metropolitan areas”
Extract, Courtesy:
http://www.zdnet.com.au/news/communications/soa/NBN-
study-prices-cheap-slow-broadband/0,130061791,339301701,00.htm
Kind Regards
Edna & Fred Leech,
I’ve done my bit. Viz:
Kind Regards
E-mail sent today
“Dear Senator Ludlam,
Congratulations on your great achievement.
The following report clearly demonstrates the fact that the study details are an essential part and parcel of the considerations by the Senate into the current Telstra legislation which, in fact, means – no study no legislation pass.
Kind Regards”
NBN study prices cheap, slow broadband
By Liam Tung, ZDNet.com.au
11 March 2010 05:29 PM
Tags: iinet, internode, mike quigley, nbn co, netspace, optus, scott ludlam, stephen conroy
analysis If Greens Senator Scott Ludlam wins his fight to have the government table the National Broadband Network (NBN) implementation study, what will he find?
If Minister for Communications Stephen Conroy is true to his word, it will contain the gory details of how to get the lowest paying broadband customers onto fibre.
In April last year, shortly after the announcement that the government would go it alone on the NBN, Conroy laid out fairly clearly what would be in the study.
“No consumer or business will be forced to pay anything for services on the NBN,” said Conroy. “But clearly affordability is an important factor to drive take-up. NBN prices cannot be structured without having careful regard to the prices people pay today for comparable services… The implementation study will give careful regard to pricing levels on the National Broadband Network.”
In other words, the study will try to define a wholesale price that will enable retail service providers to offer packages that are cheap enough to lure the very bottom of Australia’s broadband user base to the new deal.
What the study could safely assume, as has been borne out by the Australian Communications and Media Authority’s recent figures, is that even if higher speeds become available, Australian consumers might not pay extra to take them up. But they will take higher speeds if they become available at the same price as today.
What it will all boil down to is the study’s pricing recommendations for slower connections — not 100Mbps but 1 to 8Mbps, where 30 per cent of all internet connections sit. Can it, for example, provide 20Mbps — the current maximum for ADSL2+ — at a lower cost than what internet service providers (ISPs) are currently paying to install their own “DSLAMs” in Telstra’s exchanges?
iPrimus’ cheapest copper network ADSL2+ is $30 a month on a 3GB download quota, which is provided over Telstra’s unbundled local loop at a cost of $16.70 per month in metropolitan areas.
It’s not just fixed-line pricing the study will have to take into account when considering how low pricing has to go for the network to be viable, but also the price and speed of wireless broadband. As has become clear in the past two years, wireless broadband is snapping at the heels of fixed line broadband, which also means it is snapping at NBN Co’s.” ……… Continued:
http://www.zdnet.com.au/news/communications/soa/NBN-study-prices-cheap-slow-broadband/0,130061791,339301701,00.htm
Hey Fellas and Gals.
Lets have a contest to see who has lost the most money investing in Telstra!
Since K. Rudd got the leadership of this country I have lost, roughly, about $200,000.
Oh, how I love the Labor Party!
Gee if you people spent as much time using your time for charitable work, instead of trying to shore up your own portfolios, your work would actually be of benefit to Australians in need.
All these letters to politicians, using disproved NWAT rhetoric, trying to persuade them to help “your” bank account, wow. What true humanitarians you are.
But as Vasso says, it’s no good trying to reason with you village idiots, especially greedy VI’s, who refuse to see.
Viva el presidente` Trujillo!
I have been away for awhile, but I see D-Day is coming fast, what will Rudd do ? Will the impeccable Mr. Thodey pull a rabbit out of a hat and save the day, (sorry, and regards David).
I’m not a Telstra shareholder, but I have ridden the average persons internet connection, from Dial Up and a very adequate ADSL connection. Over a period of 7 years the price for the two has become the same. Please excuse my going of the Political situation, and the theme, but these are my thoughts which I feel have been overlooked.
This situation has so many facets we may just as well call a jeweller to come chip a few off, and create something more tangible.
Personally the NBN sounds like a big farce.
I would insist K. Rudd attend a suitable Technical College, or University, to obtain a Certificate, OR more suitably a Diploma in Computer Science, or similar, before being let near anything to do with the Web, The Internet, and Telstra.
Also I feel we all need consensus on what do we use the Internet for; and thus, why do we want it at all.
A cenus of Businesses, Departments, Schools, Uni’s, etc. needs to be done to align what sensible hardware should be laid down for a NBN before anything is done.
It is really fine to have lightening fast Broadband, but if we are only using text, i.e., Email, and small items obviously the lightening fast speeds are useless.
That is not to say that we don’t need good fast speeds available. But if it is to download illegal material, such as Movies, Concerts, Porn, whatever, we will just be adding fuel to the fire of criminal activity on the Net.
How fast does a Virus infect a Network, let’s say in the Taxation Office ? Nanoseconds, …poof off go all our records to some place were they can make more use of all our details in a criminal way than the Government of Australia could ever do !
To be clear about what I’m saying; at least do some basic research as to what we need as a Nation as far as infrastructure. What’s the point of buying a Rolls Royce, when a Volkswagon will do, in most cases ?
Plus some basic computer science education must be paramount on the To Do list.
By opening up a huge fast network we will also be inviting the bad things that happen online to happen quicker.
So the Governments “Filter” will cope with all this. We already have seen the Government doesn’t have the knowledge to create an effective Filter, and there are so many decent ones already, which seems to be unknown to the computer illiterate idiots in Canberra.
Great things can be done in a positive socially enhancing way online, and the World can work efficiently online, countless countries doing fine business, and social growth. But someone has to take charge, or oversee, and that person needs a helluva lot of Advanced Degrees in Science to even have an inkling to build or advise on a NBN.
Work Smart Australia, we only get one shot at this !
According to the AFR ” The Rudd government has gained ground in its quest to restructure Telstra after Family First senator Steve Fielding said he might back the plan if the company was stalling on a commercial deal with Communications Minister Stephen Conroy.
We sent the following E-mail to the senator today.
Dear Senator Fielding,
We read with much concern that you seem to be under the impression that Telstra may be stalling in their negotiations with NBN Co.’s chief executive Mike Quigley for monetary advantage. The historical fact is that Telstra shareholders bought, in good faith, the business for $65 billion which has been eroded to some $40 billion through manipulation by a succession of Federal Governments. Hence, the current board’s prudence. Which, appears to be misinterpreted as a stalling tactic, and is understandable.
We are talking about a real threat to capitalisation amounting to $108 billion (65 + 43) a matter that must not be rushed. Only fools rush in.
Every facet of this hairy venture must be examined in minute detail because our Telecommunications and the livelihood of millions upon millions of Australians are at stake. For example, during a session with telco business users in Sydney Mike Quigley intimated that the NBN service would be wholesale only, which a step in the right direction but he is reported to have stated that most large businesses already have dedicated fiber installed in their head offices and CBD premises by retail providers and that NBN would not replicate those links, yet the bill under review outlaws some of Telstra’s cables?
We are confident that you will come to the right decision without fear or favour.
Kind regards
Victoria & Vasso Massonic
Retired Teltra shareholders.
When will you fat leaches realize the beast is dead, there is no blood left, you have had a good run of exploiting the Australian people with an unfair advantage, you will now be forced to compete in a fair democratic environment, this will have the effect of the rat’s finally having to leave the ship, hoping to get another free ride on some other beast, (these parasites need to be exterminated) they are cold greedy people whose only foresight is to line their wallet at the expense of other Australians.
Services, like the communications, water, natural gas, petroleum are vital services to all Australian’s and should be owned by the Australian people, not handed over to those greedy cold hearted parasites.
The good news is that it’s a changing world & times are a changing, if you are complacent enough you will drown in your own pool of greed, just like the weather there is no guarantee that all things remain as they have in the past.
Addendum.
E- mail to Senators: Fielding, Minchin, Ludlam, Milne & Xenophon
Dear Senator Fielding
NBN Co supremo let the cat out of the bag. Screw Telstra thus be able to afford to deploy a cheap alternative, at the expense and disruption of Telstra, its 30,000 staff, 9 million customers and 1.4 million shareholders. The report in The AFR on Friday makes his agenda crystal clear.
Here are a few pertinent extracts, Courtesy: The Australian Financial Review Friday 12 March 2010.
“Telstra and the NBN Co remain billions of dollars apart on a deal that would see Telstra paid to transfer millions of customers from its ubiquitous copper network to the NBN.”……
“We are acutely conscious in the company that we are using public money to build the network so we are trying to make sure that we design it and build it at as cost effective as we can” Mr. Quigley told the audience in Sydney”……….
Yet he is prepared to splash $450,000 pa pay on a Minister’s mate etc.!!!!
“He also sought to dismiss speculation that the NBN Co would have to charge very high prices to be financially viable. ” We are going to price with reference to existing services….. So if you hear all this stuff about $200 (per month per line) wholesale access prices, don’t worry about that – we will not be pricing at those sorts of levels”…… continued
This whole affair is fast becoming too ridiculous for words.
Vasso Massonic
Telstra Shareholder
Fantastic contest between a resident from Utopia and sensible humans vying for protecting what (modern day telecommunications) we have been enjoying for over a century.
Anthony, we can supplement your words of wisdom by reading the following link and also reading today’s edition of The Australian Financial Review – pages 17,18,54 and 56.
http://www.theage.com.au/opinion/politics/how-highspeed-broadband-will-be-the-death-of-telstra-20100314-q60n.html
Oh look, we’ve come the full circle.
A vote for Mr. Abbott = a vote for Singapore – your words prior to the last election, just replacing Mr. Howard with Mr. Abbott. You said this as you openly supported Mr. Rudd, lol.
http://www.itnews.com.au/News/169413,coalition-still-likes-opel-broadband-template.aspx
Lol… the opposition if they win government, are thinking of rekindling OPEL – more for your to whinge about.
And look here as well –
http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2006/06/23/1670625.htm
http://www.zdnet.com.au/news/communications/soa/Coonan-threatens-to-break-Telstra-in-half/0,130061791,339282548,00.htm
http://www.theaustralian.com.au/australian-it/canberra-urges-telstra-split/story-e6frgalx-1111114566168
The coalition were previously “seriously considering separating Telstra too”.
Here’s a tip, when you get to the ballot box flip a coin, lol…
Like I said Telstra should agree with the government and get on with business.
Robert Buckley, a short time ago I warned that Telstra supporters must be vigilant for agent provocateurs and trouble makers who disparage Telstra to promote their own self interest. Didn’t take long for me to be proved right did it Robert.
For those interested in a professional and truthful explanation of the current debate concerning Telstra and the Rudd Government conflict, could I recommend the presentation of Mr Paul Fletcher (former executive of Optus) on Foxtel Sky Business Program. It is a real eyeopener.
What you need to understand Sydney and you, of all people, who spreads disproved NWAT propaganda daily, at every blog available, should already know this (seeing the typical 10 against/1 for Telstra comments ratio). Mr. Buckley isn’t in the minority, he is in the majority.
You can keep pretending that butter wouldn’t melt in the Telstra mouth all you like, simply because you are 100% biased and believe it will help your shares pick up. But as I have said before and Mr. Buckley proves the point, all your sugary drivel is doing is turning more people against Telstra! Seriously!
After reading Mr. Buckley’s comments, he appears to be attacking you greedy few more than just Telstra, just as I do…He may well also be an opponent, but my bet is he’s a typical Aussie who (like me) is simply sick of hearing you guy’s ridiculous portfolio driven Telstra praise 24/7.
Truth is Sydney – you are an agent provocateur and trouble maker who praises Telstra and disparages all of their opponents daily, here, there and everywhere to promote your own self interest (shares). And frankly I find you inference to Mr. Buckley (who has commented once to your thousands) hypocritically, nauseating!
BTW Bruno, I am currently making money on my recent TLS purchase. So thanks Sol, for overseeing a fall from $5.06 to $3.45 and thanks too Sol for Telstra’s non compliant NBN bid, which lead to further falls and the subsequent separation announcement, taking the shares southward to $2.88.
Sydney, It did. But who cares what these jokers think.
Telstra’s global rating was tested and came up tops. It successfully secured a prized Eurobond of 1 billion maturing on 23 March 2020 with a coupon rate of 4.25 per cent. What’s more, it was oversubscribed six times.
joker 2…”Like I said Telstra should agree with the government and get on with business”
What lunacy, – The Australian Financial Review 16 March 2010:
“Labor under fire on broadband”
* Secret CSIRO study revealed……. * Senators demand…… details * Telstra vote faces delay
But “you’re” not a Telstra supporter are you Syd?
I thought you have always claimed to simply be a concerned patriotic citizen and nothing more (who never had, did have, didn’t have, don’t have, oh yes did have and do have after all) TLS shares, lol…
Vasso Massonic says:
15 Mar 2010 at 12:16 pm
“Anthony, we can supplement your words of wisdom by reading the following link and also reading today’s edition of The Australian Financial Review – pages 17,18,54 and 56.
http://www.theage.com.au/opinion/politics/how-highspeed-broadband-will-be-the-death-of-telstra-20100314-q60n.html”
Hmmm, thanks for pointing that out Vasso Massonic, I see a clear case of plagiarism of my written word. How dare they, what is the Internet coming to ? (*much needed Brevity*)
Go for it guys, I’ve given up watching television to read the wonderful commentaries at TE .
A resident from Utopia, you call someone else, lol Vasso.
That’s pretty funny coming from someone who lives in a big gingerbread Telstra house, where Telstra are more perfectly perfect than perfection (because the portfolio said) and those leeching trolls all live under the bridge…
E- mail sent to Senators: Fielding, Brown, Minchin, Ludlam, Milne & Xenophon
Dear Senator………
Alarm bells are ringing in all directions and it’s not even April fools day.
Reading headlines in just one newspaper (The Sydney Morning Hearld) in the Premier State of New South Wales is enough to put one in a spin.
* “Labor must find $632 million” – “Rudd hones razor to fund new doctors”
* “Hospital networks too small for services”
* “Training facilities already under strain, doctors warn”
All this in just one industry.
On a brighter note, or somber – take your pick.
Opus, in a third page advertisement – “Super-fast broadband” …. 90 GB for $60, Save over $950″
If the small print combination is true, what chance has NBN Co to match this, after spending the much needed $43 billion, in eight years time and facing a real decline in fixed terrestrial telecommunication lines. Before we start demolishing Telstra, let us all chew over what is it we are trying to achieve. .
Let us all spare a though for Australians, living outside the safe precincts of metropolitan fortresses.
I have been viewing your action in the senate and marvel at your dedication. Keep up the great work.
Kind Regards
Vasso Massonic
Concerned Telstra shareholder
Telstra are a mess.
Until they can sort out their internal issues and present to the public as one unified compnay they may as well abandon any plans to do anything worthwhile in the market place as they have just about lost all credebility with their customers.
I am the CFO of a small listed company let me share with you my ridiculous experience (which is still underway as I type this I am on hold!)
In late February we identified a need to immediately implement wireless internet services that would cover us off until we moved offices in mid to late march.
I spent over an hour on the phone to Telstra (after several holds and transfers from division to dvision) to a gentleman obviously offshore. At the outset of the conversation I made it clear I was wanted a service that I could start with that day and was prepared to travel to a shop to pick up a modem if necessary. Only after the hour conversation when we had determined the appropriate connection etc did he then tell me it would be 5-10 business days before we got ‘connected’
So then it was off to the Telstra Shop. First shop sent me to another as they didnt deal much with business customers. Second shop dealt with me but the salesman still had to walk down the road to another shop to collect said hardware instead of sending me there as he wanted the sale.
Not able to purchase any outright temprorary service I had to sign up for a 2 year plan! So to minimise the impact we signed up on a smaller plan and were told it would be fine to upgrade it for current 2 months then go back down and just pay the minimum over the remainder of life.
Telstra salesman said he’d get on and set us up for online billing and so that an email notification would be sent to avoid the antiquated excess data charges. Unfortunately he couldnt get the plan upgraded there and then but said he’d follow up next week.
Anyway as expected we had trouble getting hold of him after that. So on about the 3rd business day of usage I rang up myself and spent about 2 hours on the phone being transferred between bigpond, mobile services, business services and whatever other departments lie behind the corporate curtain until someone informed me that they had upgraded my plan. Another department person cut me offat some stage and a further person told me their systems were down and to ring back later.
So all is good now we think, but the next week we seem to slow down to a trickle. Rang up Telstra and again after being passed around the branches I am told there is an outage and it will be resolved in 4-8 hours. Next day same problem (in the meantime we have unusable email and no access to externally hosted business services) so I get to someone again who says there is an outage, and then escaltes me to ‘level 2′ this person tells me there is no outage, none on system and they dont know why the other people told me there were!
Wasted a further hour resetting and changing modem settings to no avail with said person who said they cannot get a tech out ther that day… Get off the phone and within about 2 hours service resumes to normal (so 2 days lost in total)
Now less than 3 weeks later I get a bill from Telstra for what should have been a $70 plan upgraded to a $360 plan and its for $3600 including data usage!
Now Im on hold with the billing person who says its the Telstra shops fault and I need to walk down there and resovle with them. Of course Im insisting they do something here, and whlist he tells me we used 35gb the bill shows about 6gb which should have been enough even under the original plan. Its clear that its not right, but apparantly business services refuse to take the call as I need to resolve it with the shop????
I have now wasted about 2 days of my working life on a simple internet connection with associated issues. Im sorry Telstra but we will never again consider you an option for any of our business needs (or any other company I end up working for in the future)
Oh and Im still on hold while the billing person investigates why hes telling me that on a particular day we used 14gb when the bill shows 1441440 kb which to anyones calculations is 1.4gb …
So Telstra, get the chip off your shoulder, stop blaming the govt for your share price and fix your company from the inside out.
Anthony, my kingdom for a sensible discussion.
I constantly read that the sticking point, in arriving at a sum that NBN Co are willing to pay Telstra for access to Telstra asset to launch its business, is that the price is significantly less than Telstra will accept.
In the normal state of such an event, the buyer would conduct a due diligence, make an offer which is accepted or rejected by the seller.
Whilst this transaction is said to be between two corporations, Telstra and shadowy NBN Co. In reality, it’s a take over of choice Telstra assets and it’s business.
The price is determined by NBN Co and Telstra is expected to pick up its rejected, now obsolete, assets and be thankful of being allowed to conduct an ISP business.
I reiterate what I wrote to Senator Fielding.
“Dear Senator Fielding
NBN Co supremo let the cat out of the bag. Screw Telstra thus be able to afford to deploy a cheap alternative, at the expense and disruption of Telstra, its 30,000 staff, 9 million customers and 1.4 million shareholders. The report in The AFR on Friday makes his agenda crystal clear.
Here are a few pertinent extracts, Courtesy: The Australian Financial Review Friday 12 March 2010.
“Telstra and the NBN Co remain billions of dollars apart on a deal that would see Telstra paid to transfer millions of customers from its ubiquitous copper network to the NBN.”……
“We are acutely conscious in the company that we are using public money to build the network so we are trying to make sure that we design it and build it at as cost effective as we can” Mr. Quigley told the audience in Sydney”……….
Yet he is prepared to splash $450,000 pa pay on a Minister’s mate etc.!!!!
“He also sought to dismiss speculation that the NBN Co would have to charge very high prices to be financially viable. ” We are going to price with reference to existing services….. So if you hear all this stuff about $200 (per month per line) wholesale access prices, don’t worry about that – we will not be pricing at those sorts of levels”…… continued
This whole affair is fast becoming too ridiculous for words.”
Desperate times = desperate measures = strange bedfellows.
In all my years of reading comms blogs and the past 11 months of replying to portfolio/money driven bias, from about 4 brainwashed (but willingly brainwashed) TLS…
“agent provocateurs and trouble makers who praise Telstra and disparage their opponents daily, here, there and everywhere, to promote their own self interest/shares “ (Thanks SL. Lol)…
I have never seen Syd or Vasso even indicate anything but extreme negativity, let alone actually ever say anything positive about Optus. The typical description being Boptus, Kofloptus or leeching/free riding foreigners…
But obviously, Optus aren’t looked upon, as, as much of a threat to those precious shares as the NBN, lol. So…
All of a sudden, Optus have become the “new amigos” with Vasso comparing Optus’ $60/90GB (Telstra beating) plan, as to why the NBN can’t possibly be viable. But yet Telstra can be more expensive and viable, hmmm!
Then Sydney, recommends as riveting viewing, an interview with former Optus Regulatory Chief – Maha Krishnapillai (who you have both ridiculed and libelled many times) predecessor. A person whose words previously would have been shouted down, by these very same men. But…
Now with a bigger more influential opponent, you have the audacity to pander to, and talk positively about, Optus? Now I have heard it all! Unless you both call SGT (or a newly floated Optus) a buy, as many of our traitorous brethren have/would. Lol…
http://www.smh.com.au/business/investors-hang-up-on-telstra-20100224-p3a3.html
Addendum to above: A touch of Mugabe!
http://www.zdnet.com.au/news/communications/soa/Conroy-loses-Greens-over-NBN-study/0,130061791,339301857,00.htm
A Senate order to release a viability study into Labor’s NBN proposal was moved by the Greens.
This was done to help them (Greens) make an informed decision on the NBN.
Labor have been circulating fibs about this issue – I know, they sent them to me and I read them and it sounds like others are finding this out as well. About time!
It would be great if the media realized this as well.
Sen. Conroy has refused to comply with this Senate Order – it was due today.
I can understand that – this is the last thing Labor would want the Greens or the public to see.
Labor are depending on the Greens to support their destruction, bullying and blackmail.
The truth in this report can only hurt Labor and Sen. Conroy.
I think Telstra needs to improve its Customer Service more to be competitive and be a choice of investment.
Classice example, our company receives calls from Telstra telling us to call them back but when we tried to call back we were told that they will not talk to us since we are not the authorise contact person. We then did every possible way to update our contact details but to no avail and costumer service is hopeless. And up until now, we do not know why Telstra keeps on calling us.
We also tried putting complaint via Telstra’s portal but the website can not accomodate enough space.
Until Telstra steps up its service, I would say that the government is right in putting some restrictions on Telstra’s business because, apparently, the current business model is not capable of meeting customer demands.
A possible solution to the dilemma. By Michael Porter, national director, research and policy, of the Committee for Economic Development of Australia on page 63 of today’s edition of The Australian Financial Review, is a must read.
J.B.
First we had the 500-page study report, which was received on 5Th of march. His decision to not to release the study when ordered by the Senate….. It’s “not unreasonable” for the government to want to read, assess and consider the report and then make a decision about “when and if we release it”.
We’ll give him the benefit of doubt, on this one.
Then, he was ordered to table in the Senate the ‘preliminary implementation study’ which he had since August last year but failed to release it.
Once bitten twice shy, minister.
Data Courtesy:
http://www.theaustralian.com.au/australian-it/nbn-studies-under-wraps/story-e6frgakx-1225842263748
Telstra eyes Huawei for 4G overhaul…ZDNet
http://www.zdnet.com.au/telstra-eyes-huawei-for-4g-overhaul-339301886.htm
Hey Syd, isn’t this the company who were accused of being spies for the Chinese military, just last September?
The very same company you openly said, as Chinese spies, couldn’t be trusted to be involved in Australia’s comms inn any capacity?
Remember? Come on, be truthful to your fellow shareholder (who’s sitting on a nice little profit on that parcel of TLS shares, lol…) for once, “thats what you said”, isn’t it?
Of course though, at the time Huawei were going to team up with Optus, not Telstra, weren’t they?
So…let’s see your self claimed impartiality at work here.
Do you wish to again make that same espionage accusation, you made just 6 months ago against Huawei?
Or can we expect one of your typical, “water off a ducks back”, flip-flops, now that Huawei “may” have come across to the “Telstra Saint-hood [sic]“?
Well???
Sydney, don’t let naivety spoil your forthcoming cruise. I see now, why other VIPs get annoyed by pestering papparazi. It does not bother me. It will, when it ceases!
It is an undeniable fact that as time progresses things do change and we, as intelligent human beings, must be in a constant state of seeking new information, verifying it and reforming any opinions on situations that may have changed over time. Huawei was questioned some time ago by the Australian Intelligence Organisation because of their affiliation with the Chinese Government and of some suggestion of their possible involvement in espionage. The consensus now seems to be that Huawei is a exemplary company, reflected by its universal acceptance as a excellent provider of services and as demonstrated by its embrace from world businesses and also by its incredible fast growth. Who am I to challenge these facts.
Nothing to do with Telstra exchange but much to do with the marvel of Telecommunications 2010.
I’ve been reading Jessica Watson’s blogs (Courtesy BigPond) since sailing from Darling Harbour Sydney many months ago and wish her every success to reenter Australian waters.
Her latest Blog, Courtesy:
http://www.jessicawatson.com.au/
Official Jessica Watson Blog
Thursday, March 18, 2010
Looking at the chart today I actually got a bit of a scare when I realized how close we are to being half way across the Indian Ocean. All going to plan, as of tomorrow we should be closer to Cape Leeuwin, Western Australia, than Cape Agulhas, South Africa!
I keep telling myself that there’s still such a long way to go but at the same time I can’t help feeling excited about so much HVP (high visual progress). More and more of the familiar shape of Australia is sliding into view on the chart plotter screen as Ella’s Pink Lady slowly sails closer.
The weather has calmed down since Tuesday and after dropping right out to hardly anything for a few hours. the wind has settled into a nice steady 20 knots from the North West. It’s always slightly frustrating when the wind dies out right after a gale, because there’s normally still a big swell leftover. Trying to keep us heading in the right direction with not a lot of wind and quite a lot of wave means a lot of disrupted sleep.
I talked to ‘Captain Nick’ of the Queen Mary 2 over the satellite phone today as they passed well to the north of Ella’s Pink Lady. They were headed from Perth to Mauritius and Nick passed on the best wishes of all the Aussie passengers and left me thinking a little longingly of all the luxuries on board the QM2.
Mike Perham’s book about his voyage titled ‘Sailing the Dream’ was launched today in the UK and Australia. I was lucky enough to be sent one of the final drafts to read (I read the whole thing in a few hours then went straight back to complaining about not getting enough new reading material!) so I can tell you that’s it’s definitely worth a read.
Oh and I’ve just heard that Jesse Martin has been nominated for Cleo’s Bachelor of the Year in Australia. So for all the girls out there, come on we need your votes on this one!
Jesse
G’Day Vasso, thanks for that interesting news about Jessica, isn’t she a little beauty. She brought back happy memories for Carol and I when she tells how the Queen Mary 2 called her via Captain Nick Bates who was the Line Captain of the Queen Mary 2 when Carol and myself went around Cape Horn on her last year. What a super chance Telstra missed by not donating all the communication equipment for Jessica on the Pink Lady.
Sydney, She is just that. She also sets a good example for the thousands of youngsters loitering and getting drunk when they get bored.
Cheers
Since I aired my original grievance it’s only fair I should post on how it developed
after a further 15 mins on hold the operator gets back to me and agrees that the usage is in fact less than he said and that the very original plan should have covered it not even needing the upgrade amount He then put me through to business services (same ones who apparently wouldn’t tak the earlier call) where Jill confirms that the bill is indeed wrong and will be fixed
however she also infrms me that she doesn’t have authority to do the reversal and she will take it to her team leader when they get out of meeting at 12pm
That was all and I now await an amended bill Obly spent about 55 mins on the phone all up. Probably about $750 I I was charging out my time
Oh and the icing on the cake an email fr Telstra today wishing to apologise for my experience (alerted to them by the earlier post) asking for my account details and addressing me whom clearly identified myself as ‘Matt’ as a “Mrs”
It’s all very well for the Competitive Carriers Coalition to be clamoring that big bad Telstra is holding the nation to ransom, even suggesting that Telstra bets on a change of government and is running contra to our National Interest. Nothing is further from the truth.
The reality is that the corporation has been singled out to forego massive investor revenue pertaining to its copper network and ceding its wholesale business. Moreover, the punitive measures at the whim of the communications Minister remain in place, which he can use at any time in the future. Then, we have the Universal Service Obligation which will remain in Telstra’s domain in perpetuity. This particular massive loss making friction has been active since the old regime was in power.
Malcolm Maiden analysed the financial burden on Telstra in his article – Telstra… back to the future, in the SMH today…….. “The USO is valued at $145 million is and collected from the telecommunications industry. It is then passed on to Telstra, which is charged with delivering the USO commitment, by virtue of its ownership of the national copper wire network.
Telstra has always argued that the USO subsidy greatly underestimates the cost of fulfilling the commitment, especially when about 66 per cent of the funds raised from the industry come from Telstra itself, the industry giant.
Nobody really disagrees: estimates of the true cost of servicing the USO range from $550 million to $1.7 billion, a calculation Telstra made in 2007, when Trujillo was chief executive and McGauchie chairman.
The potential for a higher and more realistic USO calculation that could form the basis for a payment to Telstra – it could be called compensation or a subsidy – exists because the government says the USO obligation will remain with Telstra even when the new broadband network is built.”
I question, reference to the national interest. The Rudd Government has two important hurdles before it.
1. Tasmania was chosen as the Template for the viability of the NBN. In fact, its Premier said repeatedly that it will bring untold wealth to Tasmania. We will be able to see how the good people of Tasmania will judge this wealth transformation today.
2. The Rudd Government is said to be committing only $4.7 billion in hard cash to the venture, Telstra shareholders will, in the main, not be interested in acquiring equity in the NBN Co. In the normal course of setting up a business, the first and foremost step is – availability of capital. Where is the $38.3 billion comming from, Prime Minister?
So Sydney, Huawei were spies just 6 months ago (when with Optus) according to you! But now with Telstra, they are exemplary. The answer to my question is clearly b) – water off a ducks back, flip-flop, lol…
But I do agree, intelligent humans beings should be in a constant state of seeking new information.
So, if you are an intelligent human being (????) isn’t it about time you took your own advice and started doing so?
Rather than every piece of info, inevitable being deciphered as Telstra, are great and more perfectlty perfect than perfection, as far as you are concerned. Because Telstra being right 100% of the time, simply IS NOT POSSIBLE IS IT?
So now that you admit you were wrong, how about and apology not only to Huawei but also Optus, for you disgraceful, self admitted, unsubstantiated, portfolio driven attack?
Man or mouse?
It is extremely difficult to combat against those who use lies and deception in an attempt to promote their self serving plans to gain unfair advantage against Telstra.
For years Telstra opponents have used propaganda and trickery to coerce the Government to allow them serious advantage over a disparaged Telstra. We now see, as reported in today’s Australian Newspaper, the greatest lies and distortion of the truth yet perpetrated by these tricksters, the Competitors Carriers Coalition (a clutch of Telstra’s rivals) who are quoted as saying that Telstra is using “an extortion note” to Government.
And why? Because Telstra took the action, which incidentally is legally required to keep the Market fully informed, to tell the Australian public truthfully how negotiation with Government was progressing. How fundamentally untruthful and deceptive these people are. Telstra must ensure that before any agreement is reached with Government, all blackmail and threat must be removed, and any transfer of Telstra assets must be compensated by fair and reasonable cash transfer.
If this does not occur and the Federal Opposition is favourable to a “fair go” for Telstra then Telstra must promote for a change of attitude by Government. But honestly what Australian Government could proceed with a campaign to destroy an Australian icon company.
Sydney, the following links portray a horror story and intense aversion.
http://www.theaustralian.com.au/business/canberra-needs-creative-accounting-nbn/story-e6frg8zx-1225842996013
http://www.theaustralian.com.au/business/rudd-roasts-conroy-over-the-national-broadband-report/story-e6frg8zx-1225843475077
Vasso without being melodramatic, never in my wildest dreams did I imagine that Australians would see an Australian Government in the throes of megalomania and delusions of self aggrandisement take action that was designed to destroy an Australian company to promote a $43 billion white elephant to gain votes at a coming election.
Please read the opinions of observers of the article referred to in the Australian Newspaper to understand the feelings of the Australian people. This Conroy NBN proposal could be a greater disaster for the Rudd Government than the insulation horror that is yet to cost the Australian taxpayer another 1 billion dollars to rectify the efforts of an amateur Government.
The Rudd and Conroy plan was to promote the NBN roll-out spin and con to the Australian voter, and make available high paid employment for friends. The reality of the situation has now been revealed and for the Conroy NBN to be a financial success ( in fact less of a financial disaster) Mr Rudd has been told that he must confiscate Telstra’s plant and equipment and customers and his NBN must be a monopoly.
So the blackmail begins. Do what we say or we will make rules that will drive you into the ground. Only problem Mr Rudd, is you are dealing with Australians who are slow to anger but when provoked are hard to handle as you will discover as the election approaches. The threat of denying Telstra spectrum which was unrelated to the NBN clearly demonstrates the vindictiveness of the Rudd Government and the extent of its stand over tactics.
This situation is so serious, as it determines if Australia possesses a fair and free Government or a Government of dictatorial denominators, that Telstra together with other Australian businesses must demonstrate their rejection of this Rudd policy before Australians lose their heritage of freedom.
Thanks for those links to …guess what? Financial rags, lol, Vasso. Let’s not let comms get in the way of those $’s now!
Gotta love Syd’s, TLS shareholder speech too, about “others having self serving plans”, lol!
Especially humorous, is the audacity to not only make such a ridiculously, hypocritical statement but to then actually expect to be taken seriously? But perhaps I’m commenting in the wrong place to expect rationality?
So Syd, you can see Telstra missed the boat (pun intended) with Jesse. Good thing one of those terrible foreign (not my words) comms companies, came to this Aussie girl’s rescue. Another opportunity lost?
http://www.jessicawatson.com.au/sponsors
http://www.satcomgroup.com/
Funny though, how you can see that smaller oversight, but not see how Telstra really missed the boat with the big issues, through egotistical stubborness and greed, regarding their FTTN proposal in 2005 and farcical NBN proposal!
I guess as usual with you though, acceptance and understanding of all matters is exclusively portfolio relative!
Don’t fool yourself further with NWAT propaganda and blame the ACCC! Telstra, after saying negotiations were (all but) 98% completed, pulled out of FTTN negotiations. So before regurgitating NWAT nonsense, please refer to this link (then… we can look forward to your typically incorrect/NWAT nonsense, lol).
http://www.accc.gov.au/content/index.phtml/itemId/757949/fromItemId/2332
You will note that this isn’t an article from a business rag or a company’s biased website – it is a “government document”. But if you have “hard evidence” to prove this incorrect please supply. Otherwise accept it as being 100% factual, end the lies and accept that you were misled by Sol/NWAT and wrong in your previous statements!
If only Sol and Co. had have shown a little commonsense and decency, Australia would now have a Telstra built FTTN network in the cities and possibly OPEL in the bush (if not Telstra would have that too). But why wouldn’t Telstra just let OPEL have the bush anyway and then negotiate to offload the USO or parts thereof, accordingly, if it’s as unprofitable as Telstra claims?
Then what other stroke of genius did Sol & McGauchie pull? A non-compliant NBN bid, brilliant…NOT! Again I ask; where are those who orchestrated such madness? Shown the door prior to their contracts expiring!
Unfortunately, Telstra not only wanted their cake and to eat it too, they desperately wanted to keep the entire cake making business, the cake selling business and everything else associated with cakes.
Through no ones fault but their own, Telstra are now left with nothing but crumbs, which they are desperately trying to piece back together. It has nothing to do with lies and deception Syd…
Well not from Telstra’s opponents, anyway!
Have you apologised to Huawei and Optus, for your reckless, unsubstantiated and totally false (as you now even inadvertently admit) slurs against both companies, as any decent person would, Syd?
Telstra is a SERVICE INDUSTRY.
You cannot use SALES process’s in this area but everyone is trying and are failing.
Other service industries are Electricity, Water and Gas etc.
This is the MAIN REASON why TELSTRA MUST NOT be SPLIT. It is bad enough now to get some problems fixed now, what will it be like if it is split.
The SPLIT is being pushed by ones who think that everything is a product to be sold. They DO NOT UNDERSTAND SERVICE!!
You have a difficult problem and you got to give it to someone who do not understand what you are talking about and having to depend on them to get the work done by the other company.
Australia is creating a major problem which will be very difficult to fix because they are smashing up process’s built up over 100 years with new ideas which do not work because they do not understand communications in Australia, they just looking what is a quick solution for themselves.
Vasso was talking about the USO and the cost of it. The major issue is how much is spent on REACTIVE MAINTENANCE. It is very costly form of maintenance.
To lower the cost of USO you need a more productive form of maintenance like I was involved with in the 90′s which I called PREACTIVE maintenance. It is maintence where you identify future faults and fix before they are active.
You might say it is PROACTIVE but the method is different and FAR MORE successful. Proactive failed because the ones doing it failed to understand what they needed to do and in a lot of cases the problems became active before work was done and a lot of work done was not actual faults. Some found it an easy way to get work done which were not actual faults of the future.
Mobiles are a limited resource but we have too many wanting to put everything on the mobile network and do away with landlines. Mobiles are handy but they do have problems which it appears a lot of people do not notice. Telstra needs to show the advantage of both forms of communications and how they can interwork.
We need TELSTRA to provide a total communication SERVICE.
We DO NOT want a SERVICE provided by a number of different companies doing different parts.
THIS WILL NOT WORK!!!!! WAKE UP AUSTRALIA.
Other carriers wanting to use resources of Telstra need to pay the right price for its use.
Alan Jones Australia’s No1 radio presenter delivers a clear and factual presentation of the blackmail that is being delivered by the Rudd Government against Telstra and the Australian people designed to remove Telstra as a competitor to the Government NBN Co. It is available and can be heard on the 2GB Website under the heading Broadband Bungle. Link below:
http://www.2gb.com/index.php?option=com_podcasting&id=2&Itemid=41&task=view&limit=10&limitstart=10#top
No apology forthcoming, for making false accusations against Optus and Huawei Syd?
Just pretend it never happened – just like the free Telstra PSTN!
Pretty much sums up your so called impartiality and demonstrates your zero decency and fairness, eh?