Telstra has defended the quality of its copper network saying "it's like a grandfather's axe" that is fixed as needed.

"It's like grandfather's axe; It's had five new handles and three new heads. When it breaks, we replace the broken bit. So it's much the same as it always has been and always will be," said Stuart Lee, group managing director of Telstra's wholesale division.

Telstra's copper network isn't ageing, according to its wholesale chief. Credit:Sean Davey

The comments follow a Fairfax Media report which said Australians were waiting longer than ever to get new phone lines connected or faults repaired because the telecommunications company did not have enough technicians.

Speaking at the CommsDay NBN: Rebooted telco conference in Sydney on Monday, Mr Lee defended delays in getting customers connected or lines fixed, attributing them to extreme weather. He said he became "cross" when he saw reports that referred to Telstra's copper network as "ageing".