Telstra chairman Donald McGauchie told reporters in Sydney its exclusion from the NBN will not jeopardise its market position.

"I think you guys have got to get over this obsession with [the NBN]," McGauchie said.

"It would be nice if this country got off the political kick and got on to the innovation investment concept and understand that there are a lot of ways to skin a cat."

He said Telstra's 30Mbps Hybrid Fibre Coaxial network, Next G and new fibre backhaul links create a formidable national network.

He claimed the NBN will have no impact on Telstra's financial guidance and will present "major challenges for the operator" in terms of technology, logistics and legal challenges.