Australia's National Broadband Network plan clears political hurdle

Australia's $35 billion National Broadband Network took another turn this week as the country's Prime Minister Julia Gillard agreed to release the NBN Co. business plan, reports Reuters.

Gillard said the NBN business plan is "a reform literally 30 years in the making" and helps secure support from the country's legislators to divide up incumbent carrier Telstra's retail and wholesale network units.  

With the business plan in hand, Australian Independent Senator Nick Xenophon, who previously wanted to defer a vote on the separation of Telstra, said that he's now "in a position to make an informed vote when this bill comes to a final vote" and will vote for legislation when it comes to the Senate floor.

However, Telstra's plan to sell its wireline network to NBN Co. still needs company shareholder approval. When Australia's competition regulator issues its ruling on how retail service providers can connected into the NBN network, Telstra said that it will issue the final details of its NBN deal.

For more:
- Reuters has this article

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