Overview of Optus
Optus is Australia's second-largest integrated telecom operator and part of Singapore Telecommunications (Singtel). It was founded in 1981 and became Australia's second mobile operator in 1992, ending the telecom monopoly. After Singtel bought it in 2001, Optus kept investing in the network. In the 5G period it has stood out: Opensignal has ranked it Australia's fastest 5G operator for six years in a row.
Optus offers mobile, broadband, enterprise communications, and media, under brands that include Optus and amaysim. In 2024 it signed a regional multi-operator core network (MOCN) agreement with TPG Telecom to speed 5G rollout in remote areas, including coverage for agricultural and mining IoT.
Optus facts
- Founded: 1981 (originally AUSSAT)
- Headquarters: Sydney, Australia
- Parent: Singtel (Singapore)
- 5G coverage: more than 80.5% of the population, and more than 4,000 5G sites (March 2024)
- Radio access: 4G LTE, 5G NR
- 2024: 116,000 mobile users added in Q1, including 108,000 prepaid; amaysim grew strongly
- Capital expenditure: about AUD 1.2 billion planned for FY2025, below FY2024's AUD 1.4 billion
History and milestones
Optus began in 1981 as AUSSAT, a satellite operator. It launched mobile service in 1992 and became Australia's second mobile operator. It was renamed Optus Communications in 1993. In 2001 Singtel bought Optus for about AUD 14 billion. Through the 2010s it invested heavily in 4G, and it launched commercial 5G in 2019. After a network outage in November 2024 it put more work into resilience. The same year it agreed a regional MOCN with TPG and shares 5G RAN to extend coverage in remote areas.
Core technical capabilities
5G speed
Opensignal's fastest 5G download speed in Australia for six years, for high-bandwidth IoT
Satellite and fixed
A long satellite business, plus fixed broadband in cities and regions
Enterprise
ICT solutions, cloud services, and IoT connection management
Regional MOCN
Shared 5G RAN with TPG to extend 5G in remote areas
IoT and industry use
Optus sells enterprises IoT connectivity, device management, and data analysis. Low-latency 5G is used for industrial automation and remote control. The regional MOCN extends 5G into agricultural and mining areas, including smart agriculture and remote monitoring of equipment.
Competitive advantages
- 5G speed: Australia's fastest 5G network, leading third-party tests for six years
- Singtel: Access to Singtel's global network and partners
- Brands: The Optus brand and sub-brands such as amaysim serve different customers
- Remote coverage: The MOCN deal improves 5G availability outside the cities