Quigley hits back at criticism

Mike Quigley has defended the decisions made by NBN Co during his time at the organisation and highlighted “deliberate efforts to impede the progress of the NBN” in a speech at a TelSoc event this week.

In the speech, the former NBN Co CEO gave a “perspective on what was achieved in the first four years of NBN Co, the challenges that the company faced and how it overcame them”.

Quigley spoke highly of the NBN Co’s staff and defended the organisation’s track record.

“I believe NBN Co got most things right and, in 4 years, made considerable progress. Of course we didn’t get everything right. We had to make some mid-course corrections - as is usual for any project of the size and complexity of the NBN,” Quigley said.

“On balance, I think that the folks in NBN Co can be proud of what they achieved.”

Quigley argued that “the NBN was … knocking over the problems one by one and ramping itself into a scale rollout. And it was doing this without allowing any large increases in costs.

“If you put the politics aside, and objectively assess what the company has put in place, from an absolute standing start, it’s quite an achievement,” he said.

Quigley announced his retirement from NBN Co in July this year. During his tenure as NBN Co’s CEO, Quigley received repeated criticism from now Communications Minister Malcolm Turnbull over his running of the NBN project.

“We also knew that, for a variety of reasons, there would be deliberate efforts to impede the progress of the NBN. I will give you just one example, as I do not want to dwell on this,” Quigley said in his speech.

Quigley spoke of the organisation’s discussions about the process it was using for its satellite orbital slot assignments.

“We were following the stock standard ITU-based process, which is followed by all satellite projects I have seen,” he said.

“But there were repeated assertions that we were putting public money at risk - because we placed orders for the construction of the satellites before the ITU process had come to an end. Which was the usual process.”

“If we had given way to this pressure, the only outcome would have been to delay the provision of a better satellite service to those Australians who so desperately need it.”

Quigley spoke briefly of “distractions” that affected the NBN project.

“Unfortunately, not all the distractions could be pushed aside, as we did with this satellite example,” he said.

“Which is a pity, because there is no doubt, in my mind, that NBN Co would have been more successful if it had enjoyed bipartisan support.”

He also offered words of advice for the newly revamped NBN Co management.

“Even with all the work that has been done on the Transit, Satellite, FW, Greenfields, OSS/BSS, Product and Pricing and SAU, and the fact that you have a fully functioning company at your disposal, you do not have a minute to lose,” he said.

“Do not waste your time being party to a rewriting of the FTTP business case using nonsensical assumptions aimed to prove a predetermined outcome.

“That will only further politicise the project and ultimately delay you.”

At the event Quigley and iiNet CEO Michael Malone were each formally awarded with a Charles Todd Medal of 2013, given for “outstanding contributions to Australian telecommunications”.

Pictured: Mike Quigley, right, in 2011. Image courtesy of NBN Co.