The Labor government of Bob Hawke is not going so far as to privatise the national phone company, Telecom Australia, but it is to merge it with the Overseas Telecommunications Commission, OTC Ltd, and will then license a private competitor to be structured around the Aussat Pty satellite communications company. The new competitor will operate both domestically and internat ionally and will have access to Telecom lines at the same price Telecom charges itself. The competitor could initially be 100% foreign-owned, but will ultimately have to cede a majo rity stake to local interests.
