NEW ERA OF COMPETITION AS OPTUS REVEALS NBN PRICING

The competition to connect communities throughout Australia is heating up with Optus today unveiling details of seven consumer NBN packages, available from November 21 in the mainland first release sites. All plans will be available on a month-to-month basis under the existing NBN Co trial agreement.

To offer customers choice, flexibility and great value, Optus Broadband powered by the NBN will be offered standalone and as bundled packages with Optus home phone and mobile plans. Plans will include enriched digital offerings such as the new Optus MeTV with fetch internet TV service by the end of the year.

Anthony Shiner, Director, Optus Consumer Fixed said, "Optus has been a champion for competition for nearly 20 years, and the NBN opens up the opportunity for Australians to finally receive real choice for their fixed services. Our focus has always been on putting the customer first and delivering great value, so we've decided to offer NBN plans on a monthly basis so consumer and 'home office' customers can start benefiting from true competition right away, with a much richer online experience. This includes the new $39.99 broadband plan which is available to current Optus postpaid mobile customers on contract."

Flexibility and great value for customers
From November 21, customers will be able to choose from a great range of Optus NBN plans for their fixed broadband needs. Monthly plans will start from $39.99 for 40GB of data (including up to 20GB peak and 20GB off-peak*) when bundled with any contracted Optus postpaid mobile plan from $19, plus the entry level "Stay Connected" speed pack.

Customers that wish to enjoy a greater data allowance and faster speeds can opt for the $59.99, $69.99 or $79.99 standalone broadband plans. Optus mobile customers can also save a further $10 as part of a bundled offer. The $59.99 standalone broadband plan features 120GB of data (including up to 50GB peak and 70GB off-peak*), while the $79.99 plan offers 500GB (up to 250GB peak and 250GB off-peak*). All three plans include the basic "Social" speed pack , with the option to upgrade to the "Multimedia" and "Multimedia eXtream" speed packs depending on the customer's usage needs.

For customers that want the convenience of combining their broadband and home phone with one dedicated provider, Optus will initially offer three NBN home phone bundled packages, starting with the $64.94 120GB* Home Phone bundle.

On the $109 and $129 'yes' Fusion plans, customers will receive a 500GB and 1000GB data allowance plus unlimited standard calls to fixed lines and mobiles all within Australia. All Optus month-to-month plans come with a free NBN Wi-Fi gateway and no service installation and set-up fees . To ensure a smooth transition to the NBN, Optus will also have specialist installation teams on the ground to connect customers and help make their experience as seamless as possible.

Small businesses will be able to take advantage of Optus SMB NBN plans from early next year, with pricing to be announced soon.

"As the NBN roll-out progresses, we'll release a greater range of plans as well as more exciting broadband bundles that combine the latest Optus digital products such as Optus MeTV to help customers stay better connected and entertained," said Mr Shiner.

Optus Wholesale spurs competition with NBN aggregation trial
In addition, Optus Wholesale has commenced offering NBN aggregation services on an initial trial basis.

As an NBN aggregator, Optus Wholesale will provide ISPs with access to the NBN, enabling them to compete in the market and offer broadband services. iseek Communications is the first Optus Wholesale customer to trial the service, and has also worked in partnership with Optus to develop the technical product capabilities.

Vicki Brady, Managing Director, Optus Wholesale and Satellite said, "As a proud wholesaler of telecommunications services and one of Australia's leading wholesale providers, we're looking forward to enabling more choice and competition in the fixed broadband market via our NBN aggregation services. Optus Wholesale will also be offering customers a range of value-add services in addition to NBN aggregation as part of a bundled offering starting early next year."

Optus Wholesale's NBN aggregation service allows a service provider to reduce the number of points of interconnect (POI) to the NBN. This improves the economics of connecting users to the NBN and enables partners using the service to stay competitive with larger service providers.

Click here to download the Consumer plans and pricing available.

For more information, visit www.optus.com.au/nbn.

Media contact:
Kasia Ciszak
Optus Corporate Affairs
Tel: (02) 8082 7850