AUSTRALIAN MINISTER OPEN TO CONSIDERING RELAXING TELSTRA RULES.

(From Asia Pulse)

CANBERRA, May 25 Asia Pulse - Communications Minister Helen Coonan says she will consider calls by Telstra (ASX:TLS) for the government to relax regulatory rules in exchange for it splitting its retail and wholesale businesses.

Senator Coonan told a Senate committee that while she had not formally discussed the idea with Telstra, if the telco put forward the idea it would be considered.

Telstra chairman Donald McGauchie is reportedly open to the idea of an operational split of the telco's wholesale and retail businesses if the government relaxes rules governing how Telstra provides access to its network to its rivals.

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