Telstra signs its lines away

In this week's Twisted Wire, we delve more into the deal between the National Broadband Network Company (NBN Co) and Telstra. It's been welcomed by everyone, it seems, except Telstra shareholders.

I talk to Jim Hassell on the program this week. He is the head of product development, marketing and sales at NBN Co. I ask why it has taken so long to move from the heads of agreement to the signing of the full agreement, and he talks about how this marks several months of meticulous planning that will kick off a rolling network roll-out plan.

Steve Dalby, chief regulatory officer at iiNet, welcomes the deal, but says we need to see a lot more detail. We'll hear more from him, and from Internode founder Simon Hackett, on next week's program.

I also talk to Vas Kolesnikoff, CEO of the Australian Shareholders Association. Why has the news not been welcomed by shareholders? Telstra shares have fallen 4 per cent since last Thursday. Is this a sign that, despite a recommendation from the board, shareholders could veto the plan?

What do you think of the deal? Call the Twisted Wire feedback line on 02 9304 5198.

Running time: 27 minutes, 57 seconds