The Federal Opposition says it does not expect to pay Telstra for part of its copper network but the telco may be contracted for maintenance under its broadband internet plan.

Yesterday the Coalition released details on its $29.5 billion plan to build the national broadband network, which would cost less than Labor's NBN, but deliver slower speeds.

Instead of rolling out fibre optic cable directly to people's homes, it would build neighbourhood nodes connected with fibre, with houses using the existing copper network to link to the nodes.

The Opposition expects its network to deliver speeds of 25 megabits per second by the end of 2016, ramping up to 50mbps by 2019.

Labor's National Broadband Network currently delivers a maximum speed of 100mpbs, but NBN Co says speeds of 1gbps (20 times faster than the Coalition's top speed) will be possible in the future.

NBN plans compared Fixed line speeds 100mbps (1000mbps in future) 25-100mbps Satellite speeds 12mpbs-25mbps 12mpbs-25mbps Fibre to home 93% of premises 22% of premises Fibre to node 0% of premises 71% of premises Finished by 2021 2019 Cost $44 billion $29.5 billion Read our explainer on the network differences

Opposition Communication spokesman Malcolm Turnbull told 7.30 last night that the Coalition does not expect to have to pay Telstra to acquire its copper network, which would be decommissioned under Labor's plan.

"[Telstra's] obligation is to decommission the copper. So what we're proposing to Telstra, and we're very confident we can reach agreement here, is to say to them 'Well, you give us your copper,' really the last 500, 800 metres or whatever what they call the D side copper," he said.

"'You give us your copper and then we will ... as the NBN's fibre nodes are connected to that copper, those premises will be connected to the NBN and you will be paid the contracted amount."

Mr Turnbull says Telstra is anyway being paid about $1,500 each time premises switch over to NBN Co's fibre network.

"They're in effect being paid for their copper already," Mr Turnbull said.

He says under a Coalition plan, NBN Co may pay Telstra to maintain the copper network.

But Communication Minister Stephen Conroy says the Coalition's reliance on Telstra's ageing copper network is a key fault.

"I've got to say, I can't find a dumber piece of public policy than buying the copper from Telstra - I mean come on down Alan Bond," he said yesterday.

"Kerry Packer would be laughing all the way to the bank if he found a mug willing to buy Telstra's copper network."

The Government also says the Coalition's plan would result in regional consumers paying more than city users because it does not include universal pricing.

Sorry, this video has expired Coalition beefs up broadband policy ( Mark Simkin )

Opposition Leader Tony Abbott yesterday said he was "very proud" of the Coalition's new broadband plan, which he launched with Mr Turnbull as the Opposition's first major policy foray into the 2013 campaign.

"We believe in a national broadband network," he told journalists in Sydney.

"We will deliver a better national broadband network faster and more affordably than this Government possibly can.

"Our modern lives are absolutely unimaginable without access to broadband technology."

The Coalition's policy document states the "Coalition's NBN" would deliver fibre directly to 22 per cent of premises but 71 per cent of homes and businesses would have fibre to the node.

Four per cent of premises will have to rely on fixed wireless, and 3 per cent on satellite.

The Government's NBN will deliver fibre to 93 per cent of premises.

The Coalition says its broadband plan will cost $29.5 billion, a saving of $14.5 billion on Labor's plan.

Mr Turnbull told 7.30 that the Coalition was able to make savings because its rollout would be less labour intensive.

"There's so much less labour involved in this. This is why this is a much more cost effective thing," he said.

"The technology, the electronics and fibre are now all relatively cheap nowadays.

"The real cost is in the complexity of managing all that labour.

"That is why their (Labor's) plan is running into so many problems."