At Optus Wholesale in recent years we have been quietly evolving our digital thinking and approach so we can better serve our customers with technology.

Extreme geological activity such as a volcanic eruption, earthquake or tsunami is known to cause devastation and seriously impact a country’s operations. While most understand the immediate challenges that these natural disasters create, many are not aware of the impact that they have on one of today’s most invaluable commodities - the internet.

Traditionally, the world’s internet connectivity is delivered via subsea cables that can be affected by tectonic plate activity. This means that any cable running near an active volcano or country prone to earthquakes may cut out more frequently.

Given that 99% of the world’s data traffic is transferred via subsea cable, it is apparent how this can create disruption for many internet users looking to utilise these pathways.

The region of South East Asia lies near the intersection of geological plates, with both heavy seismic and volcanic activities. Japan is the world’s most seismically challenged nation, which presents challenges in delivering effective internet via this location. For example, in 2011 the Fukushima earthquake knocked out every cable system in Japan with repairs across the majority of these cables causing significant delays and service disruptions.

In 2018, SingTel and  Optus invested into the Indigo Cable system, which along with the Optus investment into the Southern Cross Cable Network, provides access to a new route to Asia. Commonly known as the Great Southern Route (GSR), this new configuration provides a next-generation, ‘safer’ subsea cable network designed to avoid the two regions impacted most by natural disasters.

The GSR now connects South East Asia to North America via Australia. It starts with the new Indigo Submarine System which connects Singapore to Sydney via Perth. The GSR then utilizes the Southern Cross Cable System to provide a protected route from Sydney to the West Coast USA. Configuration options allow for route customizations along the network to provide connectivity to customer sites in Auckland, Sydney and Perth.

For customers, this new configuration provides an alternative route to Singapore and onwards via Australia providing diversity from existing US-Asian cable systems.

The system also complements Optus’ global connectivity that links Asia, the US, Europe, Australia and the Middle East. We can define this as a new data superhighway that allows Singtel and Optus to capitalise on the growth of digital economies across the regions.

The GSR provides Optus customers with greater network diversity and resilience which is essential now more than ever with increasing demand on video calling and data sharing.

In even better news, the development of the route continues. Optus is investing in the creation of more routes to reinforce our position as one of the leading providers of international data services in the region. It is exciting to watch how this development will continue to shape connectivity in Australia and New Zealand.

To learn more about our service on these subsea cable networks and how they can work for your business, get in touch today.

Recently, Optus Wholesale announced the launch of Voice-over Long-Term Evolution (VoLTE) and Wi-Fi Calling for Wholesale Postpaid Service Providers accessing the Optus 4G network, an Australian mobile network operator first.

This capability will be made available to Optus Postpaid MVNO (Mobile Virtual Network Operator) partners, as part of our commitment and support of the Wholesale mobile market.

To provide you with the best possible customer experience, we're transforming your digital journey with us. Recently Optus Wholesale launched a new, easy to use self-service portal leveraging ServiceNow™. 

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As global digitalisation increases, more and more enterprises worldwide are turning to emerging technologies like Robotic Process Automation. Optus Wholesale is no exception.

How does Cisco’s acquisition of BroadSoft benefit the Optus network of wholesale partners in Australia, and how can we help them capitalise on the opportunities it presents?

These were the questions we aimed to answer when attending BroadSoft Connections 2018 – one of the world’s largest unified communications (UC) industry events.

Optus Spark discussed with Mirza Sehic – Associate Director, Customer Service on how to deliver game-changing experiences for customers and lead the service team through digital transformation.

Thanks to advanced cloud technologies, enhanced network capacity and increasing user demands it’s no surprise many new providers are turning their attention to offering digital solutions and communications platforms for business. For traditional Service Providers it means they are having to work harder than ever to stand out and stay ahead of the competition.

Optus Wholesale partner OVO, an Australian Mobile Virtual Network Operator (MVNO), is bucking this trend. Since launched in 2015, OVO has consistently and effectively leveraged the value of the data at its fingertips to make smarter and faster business decisions.

The rollout of the nbn™ is forcing Australian business to rethink their network design. From November 2018, nbn™ will commence the disconnection of Special Services – these services delivered over the copper network, once exempt from disconnection will begin expiring in stages from November 2018 until 2022. 

How do I become more important to my customers?

This is an age-old question. But one which has perhaps never been more important or difficult to answer – set against a backdrop of large and small businesses competing for market share, and multiple communication platforms where brands are all vying to be heard.

Last week, Optus picked up Wholesale Operator of the Year at the Asia Communications Awards.

Optus Wholesale was recognised for their commitment and leadership to transform the wholesale telecommunication sector in Australasia across mobile, fixed and nbn^TM.

Telecommunication network upgrades like the nbn  and 5G are of paramount importance to our country realising its digital innovation and economic ambitions.

While these types of investments might not be as appealing as the rolling out the latest AI, IoT, or blockchain platform, the reality is that these projects are not possible without a solid and robust network infrastructure.

nbn estimates there are approximately 200,000 network services for business and enterprises (classified as Special Services) located across Australia, some of which will need to migrate to the nbn or an alternate access network very soon.  An exemption from disconnection for some types of Special Services ends on 12 November 2018

Now more than ever, it’s important that MVNO’s explore growth opportunities and new revenue streams.  We attended the MVNO World Congress last month, where major industry players discussed the trends that will shape the MVNO sector. Three trends dominated were 5G, eSIM and IoT.

The nbn™ FTTC network shortens the distance from your customers’ house to the node. Because it brings the connection much closer, it can deliver significantly on average for customers.

Building a network to support high-profile sporting events has never been easy. There’s an immoveable deadline and incredible levels of complexity to deal with. Any issues that arise must be dealt with quickly and efficiently in the race to get everything ready for the Opening Ceremony. 

Telecommunications services are often referred to as the fourth utility. Now a leading analyst firm is asking whether telcos could start selling the other three.

Optus Wholesale took out the Most Innovative Wholesaler and 2018 People's Choice awards at the 2018 Mobile Virtual Network Operator (MVNO) World Congress in Madrid, Spain.

A growing number of households are now looking for a sustainable home connection to run a home office or stream TV and music. Recent research from Venture Insights found that consumers are increasingly being attracted to wireless broadband services in place of fixed connections.

2017 marked a significant gear shift for the unified communications market (UC). We’ve seen the pace of adoption pick up as businesses move away from traditional on-premise telephony systems and outdated PBX systems. We’ve also seen a change in attitude, where collective working environments are no longer seen as a business advantage, but are demanded by all.

Australian businesses need faster networks and seamless connectivity. We hear you. As a service provider, we must deliver experiences tailored to personal and professional lives.

To ensure we’re always matching evolving expectations, Optus has invested heavily in its network, most notably the $1 billion venture to improve mobile coverage across regional Australia.

In your efforts to get a strategic advantage over the competition, have you considered the potential of robotic process automation (RPA)? It’s quickly becoming an impressive enabler of business efficiency and success and offers significant value to service providers who are responsible for managing significant volumes of data, who need to be able to act fast to capitalise on opportunities, and rapidly respond to customers to deliver a superior experience.

Have you spoken to your customers about moving to the nbn™? An estimated 200,000 Business services are scheduled to commence disconnection from legacy copper networks from November 2018, making the migration from legacy copper networks inevitable.

A good customer experience today is as much about the service and level of choice you deliver as it is about the product and price. Ultimately, it is the convenience of this service that will win you business.

At the Arcstar Carrier Forum 2017 in Tokyo Japan, Optus Wholesale was awarded the Operations and Maintenance Award, beating out 27 other global carrier partners.

Fraud is one of the biggest areas of revenue loss for the telco industry and one we could do more to prevent. Every year fraud costs our industry nearly $US300 billion globally, with carriers, service providers and sometimes customers footing the bill.

We’re living in an era where connectivity is a ubiquitous part of modern life. The convenience, speed, and efficiency afforded by mobile devices make them essential tools for many of us. We use them for shopping, online banking, planning, taking photos, finding places, listening to music, tracking fitness, booking transport, and social networking, among many other things.

Every business is unique and needs a unique data and communication solution to operate effectively and remain competitive. This means service providers need to ask themselves if they are truly nbn^TM ready,  particularly for their business and enterprise customers.

Digital transformation need to support the fundamental business goals of improving productivity, flexibility and efficiency. When done right, these benefits flow across all functions including sales, customer services, manufacturing and marketing.