The incoming chief executive of the Abbott government’s scaled-back national broadband network says the technology behind the network rollout is not as important as its over-arching objective.
NBN Co chairman Ziggy Switkowski announced on Tuesday that Vodafone Australia boss Bill Morrow will take over as chief executive of NBN Co next year.
Mr Morrow replaces Mike Quigley, who announced his departure from NBN Co in July.
Mr Morrow’s appointment comes as NBN Co adjusts its rollout to fit with the Abbott government’s fibre-to-the-node plan, which replaces Labor’s fibre-to-the-premises plan.
Mr Morrow said he had not yet had the benefit of reading the details of the new rollout plan, but he believed in what Federal Communications Minister Malcolm Turnbull had said on numerous occasions.
“(That is) The objective is to be able to get all Australians good, high-quality internet access, offering some competition, offering therefore the innovation and the growth of the (economic) ecosystem that comes from that,” Mr Morrow told reporters.
“That in my mind can be a technology-agnostic perspective whether it’s fibre-to-the-node, fibre-to-the-home, or an eclectic mix-up.
“I don’t think we should get lost on the technology. It should be the over-arching objective.”
Mr Morrow said the NBN rollout was a sensitive and sometimes emotional subject for Australians because it involved a lot of taxpayer money.
“And when you have multiple opinions, you’re not going to be able to make everybody happy,” he said.
Mr Morrow was not worried about the politics surrounding the NBN network, saying it was a national project that was not owned by any individual.
Mr Morrow felt “quite comfortable and confident” with Mr Turnbull and Dr Switkowski, both of whom he described as very qualified.
Dr Switkowski said Mr Morrow’s experience at Vodafone and with Clearwire in the US meant he was well prepared for the NBN Co role.
Mr Morrow, who was appointed boss of Vodafone Australia in March 2012, is leaving Vodafone halfway through a three-year program to turn around the telco’s disappointing performance.
Mr Morrow said he was leaving Vodafone in a stable and good position, and the company was able to continue to improve without him.
He was now at an age where he was thinking about his legacy, and the opportunity to take charge of NBN Co was alluring.
“How can you argue with the notion and the opportunity to change the face of the economic ecosystem in a given country and one as beautiful as Australia?” Mr Morrow said.
“I just can’t imagine any other job that gives you that opportunity.”
