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Paul Reynolds - Source: ONE News -
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Telecom says it will continue talking to others in the telecommunication industry about ways to make an investment in broadband fibre work.
The government plans to make ultra fast broadband accessible to 75% of New Zealand's population within 10 years.
Details of the government's $1.5 billion investment released in September showed the government would not invest in fibre companies controlled by shareholders who also operate retail telecommunications businesses.
Under the plan, the government suggested Telecom would have to structurally separate its network to participate.
Telecom criticised the plan, saying it would unnecessarily duplicate the investment in fibre it has already made.
The company has nearly 30,000 kilometres of fibre in the ground and on Monday CEO Paul Reynolds reiterated his concern over a lack of co-ordination for such expensive infrastructure.
"As far as possible, (where) the government is putting money into fibre it should be complementary, it should be adding to existing fibre rather than duplicative.
"I worry that duplication is an inefficient way of doing things especially in New Zealand with our geography and low density of population, it's hard to make fibre economics work," he says.
For this reason, Telecom has been talking with others in the industry, such as the lines companies and local fibre companies, to make the fibre economically viable.
Reynolds says a plan that makes sense for Telecom's shareholders
is yet to surface but the company remains open and flexible on
solutions and will keep talking to industry players until January
next year.
