D-Link bags Optus ADSL contract

Network equipment provider D-Link has won an exclusive multi-million dollar contract to supply Optus with ADSL modems for the telco's Australia-wide DSL rollout.

It is believed that D-Link defeated six other suppliers to win the deal, which is the company's largest single contract to date, according to Maurice Famularo, marketing director at D-Link Australia.

The contract would increase D-Link's ADSL business revenues by 40 percent, Famularo said.

Currently, D-Link ships on average 20,000 modems per month. A 40 percent increase would see it move an additional 8,000 modems per month as a result of the Optus contract.

Under the deal, D-Link is bypassing its distribution and reseller channels and shipping the modems direct to Optus. Famularo said the company 'made our channel quite aware before the deal' that it would take the deal direct.

He added that the company had indicated to its channel that it would take the 'big deals' direct, but declined to elaborate further.