Optus details Internet offerings but corporates left out for now

Cable & Wireless Optus yesterday shed some light on its plans to attack the Internet market space, but missing from the equation were large corporations and a cable Internet service.

The company announced it is expanding its existing consumer and small business Internet packages to the general public. Optus launched the services to existing customers last November following the acquisition of Internet service provider (ISP) Microplex in July 1998.

Optus' plans concerning the corporate space are still in the works with an announcement expected in around eight to ten weeks, Chris Weston, director of multimedia told ComputerWorld.

Weston said Optus already offers access products including 56K dial-up and 155 mega bits per second ATM services as well as virtual private networks to corporates.

The new Internet service will address corporate needs including management, reporting and service level agreements, Weston told ComputerWorld.

As for the plans to offer a cable Internet service to compete against Telstra's Big Pond, Weston said Optus intends to launch a cable modem service and interactive TV service later this year. Currently Optus Internet runs over Optus' upgraded 56K network.

The company did however announce a number of new partners as well as a pricing structure to accompany the packages offered under the Optus Internet banner.

These include Solution 6, Travel Industry Automated Systems, Unidial, Apple, Compaq, Net Nanny and MYOB.

Despite ramping up its retail Internet services, Weston said Optus "will continue to provide wholesale services (Optus Spinnaker) to other carriers".