Optus signs with SpaceX for 100% mobile coverage across Australia, excluding the Australian Radio Quiet Zone in Western Australia and Remote Offshore Territories and Islands.
Optus announced an agreement with SpaceX for mobile connectivity covering 100% of Australia using the Starlink satellite constellation. This new satellite-to-phone coverage will be extensively tested before launch, with further information on its characteristics and accessibility provided closer to availability.
The companies will work to expand the reach of customers’ mobile connectivity to include the 60% of Australia’s land mass that currently has no mobile coverage. This will be achieved through a phased rollout of SpaceX’s satellite capability, starting with SMS in late 2024, with voice and data to follow in late 2025.
Optus’ Managing Director, Marketing and Revenue, Matt Williams, said, “Optus has always thought differently about what it means to deliver connectivity to our customers, and today we proudly provide mobile coverage to 98.5% of Australia’s population through our existing network. However, Australia’s vastness and terrain can make it difficult for any operator to provide mobile coverage everywhere it is needed – especially in remote or hard-to-reach locations.”
This new satellite-to-phone coverage will be extensively tested before launch, with further information on its characteristics and accessibility provided closer to availability.