CANADA`s Axia NetMedia is eyeing a role in building Australia`s multibillion-dollar national broadband network, a company spokeswoman confirmed Thursday.The Calgary-based firm - whose earlier work includes an open access network in Alberta, Canada, and a joint venture national fiber project in France - is "exploring the viability" of a bid to build Australia`s national network, the spokeswoman told Dow Jones Newswires.
Axia Netmedia is also interested in lodging a state or territory-level bid, as part of a $4.7 billion federal government tender to help fund a public-private sector high-speed network reaching at least 98 per cent of the local population.
The confirmation of the Canadian firm`s interest comes as Communications Minister Stephen Conroy extended the deadline for bids, following industry concerns that the initial cutoff of July 25 was too short.
Senator Conroy said bidders will now have 12 weeks from the date all material on existing network infrastructure is made available to lodge a bid.
Notably, the government is waiting on Telstra to provide complete network information.
"Telstra has provided some network information however, despite its best efforts, some information is not yet available," Senator Conroy said.
"The provision of network information is vital to allow potential proponents to build the network to compete on an equal basis," he said.
Telstra said Thursday it already has provided "extensive" information to the government.
"However, we have been asked to provide additional information that was beyond what was originally called for and we envisage that information will be provided shortly," a Telstra spokesman said.
A spokesman for Senator Conroy declined to comment on whether pushing back the tender deadline would likely delay the government`s ambitious plan to have work begin on the network by the end of the year.
Under the terms of the tender, interested parties are required to lodge a $5 million bond by Friday to allow them to continue in the tender process.
The Axia NetMedia spokeswoman declined to comment on whether Axia would be submitting a bond, and didn`t indicate whether the firm would disclose this information after the deadline has passed.
But even if it doesn`t lodge a bond, Axia may find a number of willing partners to proceed in the tender process.
Earlier this month, Axia NetMedia joined a consortium of firms, including Singapore Telecommunications, vying to lay the groundwork for Singapore`s new national broadband network.
Axia NetMedia and SingTel will each take a 30 per cent stake in the Singapore consortium.
SingTel`s Australian unit, Optus, Wednesday said it will lodge two bonds in the Australia government tender - one with the Optus-led G9 consortium, which Wednesday changed its name to Terria, and a stand-alone bond allowing Optus to proceed no matter what happens to the Terria bid.
SingTel last week didn`t rule out lodging a separate bid of its own at the group level.
Optus plans to invest $1 billion-$2 billion in the Terria network if its bid is successful. Terria envisages a total $8 billion-$10 billion network, including the government`s full contribution.
Terria has said it would welcome further investors and backers and it remains in talks with a number of banks on financing the proposal.
Still, many analysts view Telstra - Australia`s largest telecommunications firm by revenue and subscribers - as the frontrunner to build the network given the government`s ambitious timeframe.
Telstra already has advanced plans for a high-speed network, having shelved plans for a $4 billion rollout covering major centres in 2005 after failing to agree to pricing and access terms for rivals with regulators.
The Australian has reported that other groups, including Macquarie Group, may also lodge bids to build the network.
Australia`s premier calendar for IT managers, chief information officers and technologists featuring product launches, technology clinics and management sessions. Updated each Tuesday.
A LANDMARK review of privacy laws is set to recommend civil penalties for failure to notify the federal Privacy Commissioner of any data security breaches.
WITH the launch last year of a consumer version of Windows Vista, Microsoft`s Media Centre strategy to establish the PC as the home entertainment hub of the future finally became a reality.
Samantha Maiden, Online political editorKEVIN Rudd is being urged to dump mandatory renewable energy targets in Australia if an emissions trading scheme is introduced.
