Thodey

"There are very interesting statistics in the wireless network [where] the amount of data we carried last year is twice as much as we did the year earlier," he said.

The type of data

"It's as well the type of data and it comes back to how we are working. We have an iPhone and an iPad connected so the definition of work is going to completely change."

"However these challenges create structural changes we need to address as a nation," he said. "I think NBN is going that way, yet look at the power of wireless research. The one thing about wireless research is it is so innately natural that you just want to be connected where and when you want to be."

Thodey doesn't believe the mobile phone will disappear because we "nevertheless love talking", nevertheless it will change in shape and how it is interacted with.

"You can talk to your phone whether it's Android or the iPhone," he said. "I think the iPad and user interface has been quite revolutionary. Just think about how that will change."

According to Thodey, in a company like Telstra which going through "enormous changes - some externally impacted on us, some research related - you've got to know what makes you special and different".