The Telstra Tower was once a delight to countless children on school trips. Diners would use the revolving restaurant for the big romantic moments in their lives. It still defines the city on postcards.

But the 195.2-metre icon has been a source of controversy for a decade. Over the years, the Telecom Tower, as it was originally called, fell out of favour except as the great symbol on the Canberra skyline. The thrill of the breathtaking vistas from the top may have waned. The tower was a symbol of the future when it was commissioned in 1970, and that added to the thrill as well.

Earlier in the year, Telstra announced what was meant to be a temporary closure to the public areas while essential repair work was done.

But now that closure has been made "indefinite".

Telstra was wrestling with how - and whether - it could be made attractive to the public again.

"What we know is that we are a telco (telecommunications company) and not a tourism operator," the tower's general manager, Chris Taylor, told The Canberra Times.

"But we really want to make it utilised and enjoyed by the public and the business community."

The tower's big asset is its stunning views of the city and the bush beyond.

"We've got this fantastic view. We've got the rotating area so there's potential - some hospitality opportunities. We've got corporate function areas," said Mr Taylor, who is in charge of Telstra in the ACT and southern NSW.

"Our aim is to have it rejuvenated and open to the public. All options are on the table. We've been talking to the ACT government and will continue to talk with them as well as the tourism community and to the traditional owners of the land.

"It's an unusual shape, so we've got to consider what might be attractive to entrepreneurs and come up with something which is in keeping with community expectations and the expectations of tourists."

The big doubt remains the tower's last big review in 2017 produced no takers.

Telstra employed the same consulting firm which boosted the appeal of the Sydney Opera House so more visitors would visit the building itself (and spend money there) rather than just have their pictures taken outside it. Telstra then sought interest in the tower on the basis of the consultants' recommendations - with no result.

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The difficulties have been longstanding. The revolving restaurant closed in 2013 after a bitter legal dispute. The final meal was on the evening of Valentine's Day.

It's even become an ACT election issue. In 2016, candidates from the Sex Party damned it as "ugly", an "awful eyesore" and "a complete embarrassment". It should be torn down as "useless eyesore", they opined.

There was a decade of controversy even before it was opened on May 15, 1980 by then-prime minister Malcolm Fraser. Disputes had rattled their way up to the High Court of Australia before the way was cleared for the work to start.

The tower still has an important telecommunications function, Telstra said.

There are 4G and 3G antennas there, as well as government communications equipment. Digital radio and television also relied on it, and it was important for connecting to rural areas.

Telstra said it was not contemplating closure to the public forever.

It was determined that on some, albeit indeterminate, day it would reopen to the public.

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