Optus is winning new mobile customers, expanding its retail business in South Australia and has promised to continue to extend its mobile coverage over the next two years.

Allen Lew, Managing Director of Optus Mobile said, "South Australia is a very important market for Optus and we are committed to delivering even better services.

"Not only do we employ over 1500 South Australians, but we are gaining more new business here including winning or renewing mobile contacts with Flinders University, the University of Adelaide, the Royal District Nursing Service and the City of Playford.

Mr Lew is in Adelaide today to celebrate the signing of a contract extension that will see Optus continue to provide mobile services to the South Australian Government until 2004.

"By working with the South Australian Government we have been able to focus our efforts on the areas where South Australians need coverage the most," he said.

Mr Lew acknowledged that there is always room to further improve mobile coverage, but he said that Optus has gone a long way towards bettering mobile services in South Australia.

"We have already delivered nearly 70 new base stations in South Australia since July 2000 and we have another 30 on the drawing board over the next two years," he said.

"South Australians are now reaping the rewards of Optus' $35 million investment in mobile network infrastructure in the state.

"Over the last two years, we have increased our mobile coverage of the state's population from 94 per cent to 95 per cent. We have also increased by over 30 per cent the amount of land mass we cover the State," Mr Lew said.

Optus is also expanding its retail operations in SA, opening two new Optus World stores in the Colonnades Shopping Centre and West Lakes Shopping Centre.

"We're also spending two million dollars updating our other 12 retail stores. This means we are continuing to deliver to South Australians the latest handsets, PDAs and mobile technology," he said.

With more than 4.2 million mobile customers, a third of the nation's mobile users are on the Optus mobile network.

For more information on Optus' mobile coverage visit the Optus website.

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