Independent telco analyst Paul Budde said this is the overriding good news of the plan.

“Fifteen years and 6 to 7 per cent return on investment is perfectly aligned with other utilities. It will mean it will cost $30 to $35 to the wholesalers and $50 or $60 to retail for broadband and voice. That is a positive thing,” Budde said.

The Minister for Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy, Senator Stephen Conroy released the study at lunchtime today but did not reveal whether Telstra had come to the NBN party.

Telstra has so far resisted involvement in the NBN as it struggles to protect its profitable copper lines revenue, but it might not be able to compete with retail prices as low as $50 or $60 if the NBN is implemented as recommended in the study. It also risks having home landlines cancelled if customers can access voice through a reliable and fast fibre broadband network.

One suggestion would be for Telstra to sell its infrastructure to NBN Co and become a wholesaler of telecommunications services, competing with other ISPs on the same footing.