Optus has lost its director of government and corporate affairs, Maha Krishnapillai, following his resignation from the position for personal reasons.
Krishnapillai will finish up in the role on 30 November after three and a half years with the company. Optus general manager of government and corporate affairs, Clare Gill, will be acting as director of government and corporate affairs in the interim.
“While Maha advises leaving Optus was a difficult choice to make, he has decided to leave Optus at the end of this month due to family commitments,” Gill said in a statement. “Optus would like to thank Maha for his contribution to the company over the past three and a half years and wishes him all the best for his new endeavours.”
Gill told Computerworld Australia the company had begun an external search for Krishnapillai’s replacement, but there would be no structural changes to the department as a result of the change.
Krishnapillai has been instrumental throughout the telco’s extensive negotiations around the Federal Government’s National Broadband Network (NBN) and the establishment of a wholesale broadband agreement with NBN Co which is yet to be achieved.
According to Krishnapillai, the telco was waiting on more clarity and for negotiations around and agreement to be finalised before publishing retail prices for NBN services.
"Once we have agreement on those terms and conditions, that will enable us to put out retailed pricing," Krishnapillai said at the time.
In June, the telco’s Singapore-based parent company, Singtel reached an $800 million agreement with NBN Co for the migration of its hybrid coaxial cable (HFC) customers to the NBN, a four-year process expected to begin in 2014.
The agreement will involve steady payments to Optus for its migrating customers to the NBN when the service becomes available in areas currently serviced by Optus’ HFC service.
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