Bruce Mclean is a 49 year old who lives in Toowoomba, QLD, and has been a Telstra shareholder since 1999.
If I were Telstra’s CEO I would...Reward loyalty and/or shareholders, and strive to be competitive across all products. I recently and reluctantly converted my broadband to Optus. I contacted Telstra before making the switch and advised that I'd been offered a service which was 3 times faster and $20/ month cheaper. I asked if they could match it but was told the best they could do was give me a $10 discount for 6 months.
With Telstra now offering capped mobile plans, I think they have stemmed the flow to other networks but feel they could be more competitive on broadband plans.
I fully support the stand on regulation and feel that the government is making it difficult to invest for the future without others getting a free ride - stick to your guns on this!
If you asked me what I did, I'd say...Work part-time|Investor|Care giver
I bought most of my Telstra shares in...1999
I bought Telstra shares because...I have always viewed Telstra as a national icon in an essential and expanding industry, with a major competitive advantage in the network, and massive earnings potential.
My first successful investment was...Used to buy & sell shares in Mt Isa Mines which seemed to follow a steady cycle of highs & lows.
The best investment I ever made was...We have generally made money on any property investments and have doubled our money on some share investments, but have had a few shockers as well.
What I learned from my worst investment decision...Bought shares in a dot.com stock on the Friday before the Black Monday internet stocks crash. I guess the lesson was to never act on emotion or follow the pack blindly without doing proper research.
The best investment advice I’ve ever been given...Like the Warren Buffett philosophy: Never invest in businesses you don't understand, Buy when stocks are undervalued, and buy a meaningful amount.
How I use telecommunications now...Fixed line, fax, mobile, and broadband.
How I see the future of telecommunications in Australia...The challenge for telecomms in Australia is to conquer the distances & low population densities over most of the country. Telstra is well-positioned with network but must continually maintain & upgrade it.