Optus & Elders bid for all of Broadband Connect

Stuart Corner
Wednesday, 20 December 2006 01:33

Business IT - Networking

Elders said its move to become a telecommunications retailer followed its successful completion of trial programs at a number of its rural branches in 2005. However, that initial foray was with Telstra, not Optus.

Elders has a century old reputation in regional and rural Australia and activities across all aspects of rural life and industry, and its parent company Futuris saw it as being well placed to offer telecoms services.

Commenting on the Broadband Connect proposal, Elders CEO, Les Wozniczka, said: "The end result is that we are offering a comprehensive, technologically advanced solution that is backed by our strong service commitment and rural presence with over 400 Elders stores," Mr Wozniczka said.

Elders branch network includes 280 rural branches through which it provides a wide range of rural services including sale and supply of farm inputs, agency services in wool, livestock and real estate, supply chain management, sale and marketing of meat, livestock and grain and financial services including banking (Elders Rural Bank), insurance (Elders Insurance),

To manage their joint proposal a 50:50 joint venture company Opel Networks Pty Limited has been formed owned jointly by Optus Networks Pty Limited and Elders Telecommunications Infrastructure Pty Limited.