The World Today - Telstra CEO pledges commitment to the bush: "Telstra CEO pledges commitment to the bush"
ELEANOR HALL: After his straight talking speech in Lismore last night, Telstra's new boss Sol Trujillo has been out and about in regional Australia this lunchtime, discussing the state of telecommunications services in the bush.
Mr Trujillo announced that Telstra was considering a range of new technologies to assist country people. And he also fielded some questions about his comments last night in which he described the Federal Government's regulation of Telstra as belonging to the last century.
Lisa Millar is travelling with the Telstra boss and she joined me by mobile phone from a cattle station in Blackall.
ELEANOR HALL: So Lisa, Sol Trujillo's certainly been making waves since he started at the helm of Telstra.
What's he been saying to rural people today?
LISA MILLAR: Just giving the message really that he is committed to trying to assist people and he's interested in listening to their concerns.
We're on a property about 30 minutes out of Blackall, a cattle property, where there are probably a couple of dozen people who are talking to the Telstra boss at the moment.
He's looking at some new technologies, including using mobile phone technologies to turn on and off water pumps and to open gates and the like. He's looking at this new technology but is also (inaudible) of listening to people's concerns.
It certainly (inaudible) visit he's actually only going to have barely three hours on the ground at this cattle property before he heads off but he says that's enough time to get a sense of what people in the bush want to say to him.
ELEANOR HALL: Now, his speech last night was particularly explosive. What sort of reaction is he getting from people there in Blackall to that?
LISA MILLAR: Well, I guess people are surprised that he is not afraid to pick a fight with the Federal Government. It was one of the stronger speeches that anyone can remember from a Telstra CEO.
Most of it he's said in private before to senior ministers in the Federal Government but he's clearly determined to say it in public.
The fact that he's going to insert himself so firmly in the political debate has people wondering… not wanting to make a decision on what kind of term he might have, but rather to give him six to nine months. I think there is a sense of anticipation that they have someone here with some very strong views.
In fact the National Party State President, Queensland State President Bruce Scott was in the audience at the speech last night and the first he heard of Sol Trujillo's decision to back the trust fund was when he revealed it during his speech, and he was clearly pleased and surprised but there was certainly a sense of anticipation and people were pleased, wondering perhaps (inaudible) this person might have some answers for people in the bush.
ELEANOR HALL: Now Lisa, of course, you're on, presumably, a Telstra line there, it's a fairly ropey mobile line.
What's next on the agenda for Sol Trujillo? Is he being bombarded about services to the bush, improving those mobile services?
LISA MILLAR: Well, the Telstra people have been very proudly telling me how good the CDMA mobile is that I am using at the moment. So they won't be pleased to hear that it's ropey.
They will be talking to him about what kind of services they're getting here. He will head off to Brisbane this afternoon to meet with Telstra staff and to address a fairly large staff meeting away from the cameras before he meets with the Queensland Premier Peter Beattie for a short discussion this afternoon before flying back to Sydney.
ELEANOR HALL: Lisa Millar, thanks very much for that.
