Optus and SpaceX collaboration to deliver 100% connectivity

Collaboration between Optus and SpaceX aims to deliver mobile connectivity that covers 100% of Australia* using the spacecraft manufacturer’s Starlink satellite constellation.

“Optus has always thought differently about what it means to deliver connectivity to our customers, and today we proudly provide mobile coverage to 98.5% of Australia’s population through our existing network,” said Optus’s Managing Director, Marketing and Revenue, Matt Williams.

“However, Australia’s vastness and terrain can make it difficult for any operator to provide mobile coverage everywhere it is needed — especially in remote or hard-to-reach locations.

“Our work with SpaceX aims to bring the coverage capabilities of satellites direct to compatible mobile handsets without the need for customers to buy additional equipment. This partnership builds on our proud history of satellite innovation in Australia.

“This is a truly innovative model for Australia — connecting satellites to standard mobile phones — and a significant evolution beyond the services SpaceX has provided in Australia to date. It will create a unique experience for Optus customers,” Williams said.

Optus said, through its agreement with SpaceX, it will work to expand the reach of customers’ mobile connectivity to include the 60% of Australia’s land mass that currently has no mobile coverage. The organisation said this will be achieved through a phased rollout of SpaceX’s satellite capability, starting with SMS in late 2024, with voice and data to follow in late 2025.

“We share Optus’s vision to improve connectivity across Australia. The connectivity pairs SpaceX’s Starlink satellite constellation with Optus’s mobile network to transmit directly to mobile phones across the country,” said SpaceX’s Senior Director of Satellite Engineering, Sara Spangelo.

The new satellite-to-phone coverage will be extensively tested before launch, with further information on its characteristics and accessibility provided closer to availability.

*Excludes Australian Radio Quiet Zone in Western Australia where no service is permitted to be provided and Remote Offshore Territories and Islands of Australia. Coverage requires a clear line of sight to most of the sky. Further information will be provided at service launch.