Communications Minister Malcolm Turnbull has announced the constituents of the reformed NBN Co. executive board, with three members remaining while four resign.

Former Telstra boss Dr Zygmunt Switkowski has been announced as chairman, replacing Siobhan McKenna. NBN Co board members Dr Kerry Schott and Alison Lansley are staying on.

Mr Turnbull has welcomed Dr Switkowski to the position, describing him as “one of the most experienced telecom executives in Australia”.

Dr Switkowski, a nuclear physicist, was CEO with Optus before taking on the lead role at Telstra during its privatisation for the second and third tranche offerings – resigning in 2004 after what were described at the time as “a series of lackluster investment moves”.

Ziggy Switkowski will reportedly act as a temporary chief while a permanent replacement for former CEO Mike Quigley is recruited.

Mr Turnbull says with the new board in place, the National Broadband Network can be redesigned. The Communications Minister has instructed the NBN Co board to negotiate the purchase of Telstra's existing copper network, onto which he plans to piggy-back additional lines. The details of the new NBN plan are now to be made certain. Mr Turnbull has reportedly been shown a draft of the plan, which is currently the subject of an online media campaign to be made public through the Freedom of Information Act.

Mr Turnbull has previously criticised the NBN Co board for its supposed lack of construction expertise, those same criticisms have been levelled now at Dr Switkowski. Reports say he has not previously been involved with infrastructure-based project of similar style or magnitude to the National Broadband Network.

Opposition Communications spokesperson Anthony Albanese has criticised the new CEO's project history and the size of the board ,saying "Mr Turnbull effectively has sacked almost the entire board, he's now left in place only three people... Dr Switkowski does not have experience with a major construction activity such as the NBN."