Concept
Singtel Optus Pty Limited (commonly referred to as Optus) is an Australian telecommunications company headquartered in Macquarie Park, a suburb in the Northern Sydney region of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. It is a wholly owned subsidiary of Singaporean telecommunications company Singtel. Optus is the second-largest wireless carrier in Australia, with over 10 million subscribers as of 2022, and its mobile network covers 98.5% of the Australian population. Optus can trace its beginnings back to the formation of the Government-owned AUSSAT Pty Limited in 1981. In 1982, Aussat selected the Hughes 376 for their initial satellites, with the first, AUSSAT A1, launched in August 1985. AUSSAT satellites were used for both military and civilian satellite communications, and delivering television services to remote outback communities. Optus fleet of satellites With Aussat operating at a loss and with moves to deregulate telecommunications in Australia, the government decided to sell Aussat, coupled with a telecommunications licence. The licence was sold to Optus Communications – a consortium including: logistics firm Mayne Nickless (24.99%); UK telecommunications company Cable & Wireless (24.50%); US telecommunications company BellSouth (24.50%); AIDC Limited (10.00%); insurance and investment company AMP (10.00%); and insurance and investment company National Mutual (6.02%). The new telecommunications company was designed to provide competition to then government owned telecommunications company Telecom Australia, now known as Telstra. Optus gained the second general carrier licence in January 1991. After privatisation, AUSSAT became Optus and its first offering to the general public was to offer long-distance calls at cheaper rates than that of its competitor Telstra. The long-distance calling rates on offer were initially available by consumers dialing 1 before the area code and phone number. Following this, a ballot process was conducted by then regulator AUSTEL, with customers choosing their default long-distance carrier.