While Budde acknowledges this is an issue, those internal industry concerns fade in comparison to the prospect of involvement from industries other than the traditional telecommunications players.

"At the moment I think the whole situation is still very much telco-centric - it's all about Telstra, all about Optus, AAPT and god knows whoever," he says. "The real issue is what is this going to do for our economy, for our society? We will see that increasingly these other sectors are going to be demanding, that they want to be looked after the same way Telstra and Optus are looked after."

Budde's prediction may be justified, based on recent rumours the NBN could become a project governed by multiple departments within the Federal Government. It's hard to believe, given the project has become Conroy's pet in many ways.

But with much of the legislation now in place and the NBN's rollout likely to be in full swing by the end of the year, it has grown from the squalling baby opening its eyes in the bright world of politics, to a toddler taking its first steps and gaining a voice amid the confusion.

Where the NBN heads next is anyone's guess. It's clear there are major steps that need to be taken: That many of the same debates continue to circulate among the wider Australian populace signifies a need for education, while recent tender issues indicate that it is not free from the risk of becoming another government-funded financial wreck.