Optus has launched a new wave of MMS (multimedia messages service) content for mobile phone users and has the largest range of MMS handsets on offer giving it a head-start at the top end of the mobile market for Christmas.

Mr Allen Lew, Managing Director, Optus Mobile said he expects to see steady growth in the market as content improves and more handsets with in-built cameras and colour screens hit the market.

"It is the combination of content, colour screens and cameras that will appeal to customers this Christmas," he said.

"Our MMS customers are already sending an MMS a day - proving that taking and sharing pictures over mobiles is growing in popularity."

Optus has expanded its range of MMS capable handsets to six including the Panasonic GD88 which has an in-built camera plus the Sony Ericsson T68i and T300 and the Nokia 7650, 6100 and 7210.

Mr Lew said having a MMS mobile is only part of the equation and that Optus has been working on ways to give customers even more MMS moments.

"If you are going to put a camera phone in your stocking for Christmas, we want to give you more reasons to get the best value out of it," he said.

"Our new MMS content gives our customers the ability to see, to send, to show and to tell. They can see images with news items, check out the latest surf conditions and send MMS mobile cards."

Optus' new MMS content includes:

• News - get the latest general, business, entertainment and sports news from AAP featuring a photograph with each main story.
• SurfCam - See a picture of latest surf conditions at one of 20 beaches around Australia including Manly, Palm Beach, Cronulla, Portsea, Burleigh Heads and Surfers Paradise. Sourced from one of Australia's leading surf reports - Coastal Watch.
• MMS Mobile Cards - supplied by Hallmark. Send a full colour, animated cartoon including audio as a Christmas message to a friend with an MMS phone or email it.

To get the new colour MMS content, Optus customers simply go to the Optus website at www.optus.com.au/mms and register for the content they want to receive. The MMS content will then be sent to them at the specific time they request. Each message costs 75 cents with the exception of MMS Mobile Cards, which cost $2.95.

Optus offers a one month free trial of MMS to all new customers.

For more information:
Louise Ingram
Optus Corporate Affairs
Phone: (02) 9342 5042