Telstra chief executive Sol Trujillo told a Macquarie Bank conference today that the dominant telco would release the information, necessary for anyone wanting to bid for the project, ''later this morning''.

''Telstra will be the first company to provide the requested network information to the government and the national broadband network bidders' bond of $5 million,'' he said.

Telstra also reiterated its earnings forecast update made in February for fiscal 2008, seeing earnings before interest and tax rising by 6-8% this fiscal year.

Telstra refusal, up until now, to release the information had prompted rival bidders to seek an extension to the July 25 tender deadline.

But companies will only see the information, which includes the location of all telephone exchanges and transmission cables, once they pay the refundable $5 million entry bond.

Telstra's concession is a boost to the G9 (group of nine) coalition of Telstra's rivals, which is set to announce recently resigned Soul chief executive Michael Simmons as its broadband tender bid manager.

While the bid deadline is July 23, bidders must submit their $5 million bond by May 25 to be considered for the project.