Telcos compete for Tasmanian govt work

In early April the Tasmanian government signalled its intention to refresh its telecommunications network from early 2007, with suppliers due to be appointed by October this year.

Late last week officials from the state's Department of Premier and Cabinet met with telecommunications suppliers in the state capital to discuss the new network, which is a project known as "Networking Tasmania II".

The project is being run by TMD, a division of the department that manages whole of government technology projects for the state.

While TMD did not immediately respond to a request for comment about the meeting, it is possible the audience included the incumbent supplier Telstra as well as other smaller telcos.

Telstra's current contracts with the state, which include data networking services for all government departments and for some schools and hospitals, will expire in February 2007.

But a more competitive market may make it harder for the heavyweight to win as much business this time around.

The government has flagged an opportunity for multiple carriers to grab a slice of the pie previously swallowed by Telstra.

According to slides from the presentation made last week -- and now available online -- the Tasmanian government wants to make sure complexity and cost are managed in the project, with government control maintained at all times.

A key objective for the project is to "obtain value for money in a competitive environment."