Just two month ago, Mike Quigley retired from his position as NBN Co CEO, though he said he would stay on until a new CEO was assigned.
Of course, things were placed on hold as the election loomed, and with the Coalition now elected, NBN Co will have to transition from a fibre-to-the-premises national broadband network (NBN) to a fibre-to-the-node network.
But for those hoping for a speedy transition, things have been further complicated as, according to a report from the Australian Financial Review today, the entire NBN Co board has now offered to resign from their position following suggestions that they are unfit to roll out the NBN.
The report says that NBN Co's chairwoman Siobhan McKenna submitted her resignation to the Minister for Communications, Malcolm Turnbull, which was followed by the rest of the board.
The Turnbull upheaval
While the resignation has not been accepted by Turnbull, a decision is due to be made following a cabinet meeting, which is scheduled for early next month.
Turnbull has long argued that Labor's NBN project was running over budget and behind schedule, blaming the NBN Co's board and executive team for most of the issues.
When Quigley announced his retirement from his position as NBN Co's head, Turnbull said that it would "will be a huge setback" for the policy's implementation.
With the board threatening en masses resignations, Turnbull may have the opportunity to start his NBN vision from near-scratch – or will be stuck with a situation that would create further setbacks for the rollout of the NBN.
Under the new government, Turnbull explained that they would conduct a strategic review of the current state of the NBN within the next two months to reveal how long and how much it would cost to complete the current NBN project.
NBN Co will also be required to renegotiate its deal with Telstra for copper access, which could further delay the development of the fibre network.
- Want to know more about the NBN? Check out our handy guide to the NBN.
