All bids are in! 4pm today was the shut-off time to get proposals into the government’s $1.5 billion Ultra Fast Broadband network.

And it’s shaping up to be a ding-dong battle between the telcos and the lines companies.

Telecom isn’t the only telco to submit a bid, but it was first off the blocks with its release this morning. The incumbent provider has put up two proposals:

“Telecom will provide a fully compliant Preferred Commercial Model proposal, and an Alternative Commercial Model proposal. The alternative proposal focuses on delivering a national network using Telecom’s fibre-to-the-node (FTTN) programme as the logical springboard for the Government’s vision of fibre-to-the-home (FTTH),” says Telecom CEO Paul Reynolds.

To get an insight into how a network based on the FTTN would shape up, get yourself a copy of the October 2009 Telecommunications Review.

Meanwhile the lines companies and other regional fibre companies have joined forces as the New Zealand Regional Fibre Group. There are 19 in the group, and some have separate bids, while others are clubbing together. They’re already working with the Telecommunications Carriers Forum (TCF) to create common standards in consultation with the Tier one telcos TelstraClear, Vodafone and Telecom.

Leading the charge is Vector – which is after the Auckland area – 450,000 premises. It’s already got experience in building a fibre network in a private/public relationship – the North Shore Education Access Loop (NEAL).

To find out what went right – and what went wrong – with NEAL, check out this month’s edition of Telecommunications Review. An insider told TR today that they’re expecting the MED to issue have the first round of evaluation completed by the end of February.