OPTUS AND IBURST TO DELIVER MOBILE BROADBAND ACCESS

Optus today announced it had entered into a partnership with Personal Broadband Australia to provide mobile broadband internet access to corporate customers. Using Personal Broadband’s iBurst technology, Optus is now in a position to offer wireless broadband services to 70 per cent of Australian businesses. "Our partnership with Personal Broadband is a testament to Optus' approach to working with the best providers in other parts of the telecoms market and making their products and services available to our customers,” John Simon, Acting Managing Director, Optus Business said. “iBurst supplements Optus’ existing WiFi and 2.5G capability and will complement future 3G offerings by delivering a service that enables connectivity to laptops, leveraging the power of mobility.” The partnership with Personal Broadband allows Optus to provide an immediate working solution for business professionals to access the internet or privately connect to centrally held information to effectively carry out their work when travelling or at a customer site, saving time and increasing productivity. “Accessing email or corporate data is no longer a fixed location activity that happens at mandated times. Genuine, real time work can be done on the run at any time and the convenience is addictive. There is no need for downtime when you can read and action your email on the way to work,” Personal Broadband Australia CEO,” Jim Cooney said. “iBurst creates time in your day, just like the mobile phone did ten years ago. Once you have it, you just want more of it.” The iBurst mobile broadband solution enables secure high-speed wireless access to both virtual private networks and the internet. iBurst currently operates at speeds of up to 1 Mbps per second, with 2 Mbps scheduled for later this year. The network also enables connections to be maintained on the move so users can reach time-critical information at a moments notice while commuting. Personal Broadband has coverage already switched on in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and the Gold Coast. The company also owns spectrum in Adelaide, Perth, Hobart and Darwin and plans to provide coverage to 95 per cent of Australia’s business population. Today’s partnership announcement with Personal Broadband follows the unveiling of Optus’ 3G network in Canberra last month. Optus continues discussions with other players in the consumer wireless space. It is also currently working on two wireless broadband trials - one for consumers (with partner UTStarcom) and one for businesses (with partner Siemens).

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