Progress on the National Broadband Network has been given a boost, with Melbourne being named as the home for the technical team responsible with rolling-out the network’s IT infrastructure.
The announcement came as the NBN Co. confirmed former British Telecom executive Claire Rawlins has been appointed as the company’s chief information officer.
While the company has said the network will have no main headquarters and its operations will be spread across a number of cities, the announcement of the technical team’s home in Melbourne is likely to give the city more attention.
The team’s presence will mean Melbourne could be a major focus during the preliminary development stages of the $43 billion network. Additionally, the company is now advertising for a variety of roles to be filled for the technical team, including general managers and junior staffers.
But despite the early focus in Melbourne, a company spokesperson reiterated the NBN has no headquarters and that responsibilities will be shared across various states and cities.
The statement comes after a recent tussle between Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane earlier this year, after premiers from each state argued over which would be best to host the company’s headquarters.
”NBN Co. will be employing people in all states and territories and, as such, it does not have a head office in the traditional sense,” he told The Age.
Meanwhile, the company has also announced Rawlins as the company’s chief information officer. She has worked most recently as a consultant with AAPT, and joined British Telecom in 2004.
“In this role she had responsibility for designing, building and implementing the IT and business processes, systems and technology,” chief executive Mike Quigley said in a statement. “She will be responsible for IT strategy architecture, delivery and support of [the] NBN’s extensive IT systems and applications.”
Rawlins has also worked with Fidelity Investments, Dresdner Kleinwort Wassertain and Qwest, all in IT-related roles.
Additionally, Quigley also announced Mike Kaiser, former chief of staff to Queensland premier Anna Bligh, as the company’s new government relations and external affairs chief.
Kaiser served in the Queensland state parliament until 2001, but resigned after admitting his involvement in a vote rigging scandal during the 1980s. The company said Kaiser will focus on engaging with governments, but an early focus will see him make contact with utilities.
The announcements mean there are now 10 executives within the company.
But despite the developments, some are still frustrated about the perceived lack of progress on the network, with Optus chief executive Paul O’Sullivan telling the NBN Co. to “get on with it”.
”We need to stop the delay, we need to build this network now because of what it can offer Australia,” he told ABC TV’s Inside Business yesterday.
”We’ve done a detailed costing and demand modelling exercise on the NBN. We’ve been one of the few parties willing to make that public and show how this can be a good investment.”
Patrick Stafford is a freelance journalist and a former deputy editor of SmartCompany.
