Australian NBN gains interest from Huawei

Interest being shown from network operators and manufacturers alike in the new National Broadband Network has started to pick up pace as Huawei Technologies Co., the Chinese telecommunications equipment vender saying that it was considering taking part in the project.

Following the strong position Huawei has gained in the a number of emerging markets including China, the company is looking to provide network operators with a range of cost-effective products and is working hard to expand into North America, Europe, Australia and other developed markets.

The global head of corporate communications at Huawei, Ross Gan said in a recent interview “We are interested in dialogue with the stakeholders involved in the NBN project.”

He went on to add “We feel that we have something to contribute to this national project.”

With the original hopes for a single network operator to build the National Broadband Network being destroyed by the current economic turmoil in both Australia and the rest of the world the Federal Government decided in April to bin the tender process and look towards creating a $43 billion super-fast fiber-to-the-home broadband network, which will also be using private sector investment.

A total of 49 percent of this new company that has been set up to build the broadband network will be given to the private sector, whilst the Government will be set up as the majority owners of the company but said it welcomes private sector funding.

Interest in the NBN project by a number of different companies appears to have led to the latest comments from Huawei recently.

Amongst the various companies look for a piece of the NBN project are Axia NetMedia Corp who are based in Canada and also Singapore Telecommunications Ltd, both of whom will most likely be looking for further information before they make their minds up.

Source – http://online.wsj.com