There was an interesting note from AFP yesterday about the new CEO of Australia's major telecom incumbent, Telstra, namely Solomon Trujillo, an American recently settled in Australia. Mr. Trujillo stated that Telstra is way over-regulated and that other carriers (such as SingTel-owned Optus) should share the burden of offering services to remote and rural areas.  As a newcomer, he certainly did not temper his statements with some diplomacy, going as far as saying that such requirements for services to outback customers "belong to the last century".  That did not sit very well with the Communications Minister.

The stakes are pretty high - the Australian government is planning to sell its 52% share in Telstra next year (at a price tag of roughly 24 billion US$), and the coalition partner wants the rural service guarantees to remain in force even after the sale.