Is Elders going to pull the pin on OPEL - its much vaunted joint venture with Singtel-Optus? Media reports today suggest Elders is, indeed, "considering its options".

Industry newsletter, Communications Day reports Optus "did not specifically deny speculation that Elders is seeking to reduce its stake", while Fleur Leyden in the Herald Sun (www.news.com.au) says:

"Sources close to the Futuris-owned Elders said it might pull the pin on the joint venture...".

"It is believed Elders is concerned that the rural broadband plan it put together with Optus last year, for a separate Howard government tender known as Broadband Connect, would be duplicated in some areas by FTTN," Leyden writes.

In a similar vein, Communications Day leads with the news that industry speculation has Elders "seeking to reduce its stake in its Opel joint venture with Optus".

"According to sources close to the deal, Elders has been the less enthusiastic partner in the 50-50 joint venture which won a 2007 grant to supply a mix of WiMax and ADSL2+ broadband to a range of regional hotspots. The move comes after revelations that Optus is seeking more government funds to service regional and rural Australia, this time to specifically fund new standard telephone connections," says Communications Day.

"Optus yesterday did not specifically deny speculation that Elders is seeking to reduce its stake."

OPEL is a 50-50 joint venture between Singtel and Elders in which each party holds a single share.