Optus wins $52m Immigration renewal

The Department of Immigration has awarded Optus another renewal to its long-running telecommunications contract, which once complete will see the relationship span out to 15 years.

Optus has supplied telecommunications services to the department since 2001.

Immigration last renewed the Optus contract in mid 2012 for two years and $93 million. Its prior four-year renewal in 2008 was valued at $143 million.

In that time Optus implemented a virtualised contact centre for the department, rolled out voice-over-IP capability to 7000 seats, and transitioned the Immigration wide area network (WAN) to Optus’ IP network, Optus Evolve.

Late Friday Immigration revealed Optus would continue to provide telecommunications services to the agency for another two years to mid 2016, in a deal worth $52 million.

Optus declined to comment. Immigration has been approached for comment.

Optus also recently won an extension to its contract with the Department of Defence for its C1 satellite, in a four-year, $19.5 million deal.

Optus and Defence jointly launched the $500 million C1 satellite in 2003 in French Guiana, which provides communications to both Defence and commercial users in regional areas of Australia as well as the Asia Pacific.

Optus will continue to provide managed services for the satellite until 2018 under the extension, and will additionally provide satellite support services for Defence’s wider satellite capability.