After eight months of industry consultation, public hearings and issue paper discussions, the Convergence Review Committee says it will issue a draft report before the end of the year, and seek more feedback before publishing the definitive document.

The Federal Government is considering a plan to extend a special 457 visa program designed for the resources sector to the telecommunications industry, to allow it to expedite the import of large numbers of skilled workers.

The Gillard Government has re-jigged its 457 visa program, with the Immigration Department speeding up processing times for employers seeking to bring in foriegn workers and doubling to six years the duration of the long-stay visa.

NBN Co chief executive Mike Quigley has told a senate committee the national broadband network roll-out would make use of locally-produced product to the "maximum extent," dismissing analysis that Australian firms and Australian staff were being by-passed.

The chairman of the joint parliamentary oversight committee on the NBN Rob Oakeshott says workforce-related issues arising from the $11 billion Telstra-NBN Company deal might add to the cost of the national broadband network roll-out.

The NBN Company expects to make its purchasing decision for two satellites for the national broadband network within the next "couple of months" before turning its attention to finding a supplier for its earth-based satellite services.

The powerful joint parliamentary committee overseeing the roll-out of the national broadband network will scutinise the $11billion deal between Telstra and the NBN Company, looking at questions of risk and value for money.

The NBN Company is likely to withdraw a request for a "price shock mechanism" - which would allow it to increase prices for its wholesale services by up to five per cent above inflation - as being of little value, NBN Co chief executive Mike Quigley has told a senate committee.

Communications Minister Stephen Conroy has rejected as "spurious" accusations that the just-announced NBN Company 12-month construction plan was an exercise in political pork barrelling.

The news that several towns in Gippsland will miss out on a piece of the moral broadband challenge of our generation is joined by the NBN Co shifting responsibility for getting consent to get the fibre connected from itself, to ISPs, although renters will still need the landlord’s consent.