Impending announcement of the NBN winner causes much speculation

There is now increasing speculation as to who will walk away with government funding worth $4.7 billion as the envelope that will announce the $15 billion national broadband network winner is prepared by the Federal Government.

The announcement of the winning bid should have been made by Stephen Carter, the Communications Minister last week at the CeBIT tech fair in Germany, buy it was hit by delays of around three weeks caused by the devastating bushfires in Victoria.

A meeting to talk about the finer details of their bid took place recently between the shortlisted potential winner and Senator Conroy it is believed.

Some of the sources close to the bid process have said that due to issues with some of the bidders’ tenders the Government will not be able to announce a winner until further details are provided and discussed.

Until the end of the month when the Government announces the winner no-one is sure with Melbourne-based Acacia, state-based bidders such as the Tasmanian government and TransACT, Canada’s Axia or Optus will be chosen, but what is clear is that this is looking to be a very tight race.

As Art Price, the chief executive for Axia flew in Canberra recently in order to present to the State Select Committee for the NBN, which coincided with the supposed meeting between the potential NBN winner and Senator Conroy, is would seem that it is look to be a strong runner.

Axia has already involved itself in a partnership with Singtel in Singapore to rollout an NBN and its proposals for a wholesale fibre-to-the-home network which offer access with n-frill for around $15 per month.

The recent collapse of a financing package for another of its broadband projects due to the economic climate has, however, caused its financial credentials to be called into question. Axia is also reduced to junior partner in its partnership on the Singapore NBN due to the groups’ relatively small size.

With the backing of a number of wealthy businessmen it appears that Acacia will have little trouble with the financial side but other than that, there is little known of the group.