Home Affairs splits telco services between Optus, Vocus

Home Affairs has split its telecommunications services work into five streams and awarded work so far to Optus and Vocus.

The department decided to restructure its telecommunications service contracts into five specialist capabilities last year as part of a strategy to reduce risk, “particularly in terms of business continuity, and drives competitive outcomes and contract flexibility”.

The “technical separation between data/voice, mobile, satellite and network management services” reduced technology risk, the department said, while the ability to select best-in-class vendors for each capability reduced “acquisition risk”.

In December, Vocus was named as the successful tenderer for the data carriage and internet contract, worth over $16 million; and the fixed voice contract, worth more than $7.5 million.

This week, Optus won $150 million worth of contracts, one worth more than $92 million, the other worth more than $65 million.

Optus had previously been the department’s dominant telecommunications network service provider.

A Home Affairs spokesperson told iTnews the Optus contracts were for managed network and unified communications services, both for the department’s own networks and for the Australian Border Force.

The network manager capability covers the operation of the DHA’s network infrastructure including routers and switches, monitoring and reporting, and maintaining the network’s physical environment.

Unified communications includes IP telephony, audio and video conferencing, desktop messaging, and broadcast/streaming services.

The four contracts awarded so far cover services for all staff in the department’s more than 300 points of presence.

The last remaining slice of Home Affairs' telecommunications needs, for mobile services, is still being procured.