Optus Media Release: Aussies Set To Ring In The New Year

Aussies set to ring in the New Year
Almost 50 million texts sent on Christmas Day; record mobile traffic expected on New Year's Eve

Optus is gearing up for its busiest day of the year, with customers expected to send over 57 million text messages and make 67 million mobile phone calls this New Year's Eve. [1]

As customers around the country welcome in the next decade, Optus anticipates mobile traffic will break previous records. On New Year's Eve last year, Optus mobile customers sent 44 million SMS' and made 58 million mobile phone calls. In 2009, Optus expects to see a 30 per cent increase in text messages and a 15 per cent rise in mobile calls. More than 51 million fixed line calls are also expected to be made.

On Christmas Day this year, Optus customers sent close to 50 million text messages, an increase of 28 per cent from 2008, with the most popular time of day to send text messages between 12 noon and 1pm AEST. More than 35 million mobile calls and 32 million fixed line calls were also made, as customers celebrated the festive period. Optus wireless broadband customers also downloaded twice as much data this Christmas Day than they did in 2008.

Optus saw a strong increase in overseas calls made on Christmas Day, with customers spending almost 80,000 hours on the phone to friends and family abroad. The three most popular calling destinations for Optus customers were the United Kingdom, New Zealand and Vietnam.

Michael Smith, Managing Director of Consumer at Optus said, "In recent years the mobile phone has become an integral part of the way we live our lives. More and more people now turn to their mobile to stay in touch. Christmas Day and New Year's Eve is no different, with many people calling and texting friends and family to share the celebration.

"More Australians have access to mobile technology than ever before and we expect to see record-breaking mobile traffic this New Year's Eve. Hundreds of Optus staff will be working around the clock to support our customers, keep our networks running smoothly and ensure family and friends across the globe can keep in touch," Mr Smith said.

To help manage the influx of mobile traffic, Optus has boosted capacity in all popular New Year's Eve celebration locations around the country. Extra capacity has been added around the Sydney Harbour Foreshore; on the Gold Coast and Surfers Paradise; in Victoria on the Mornington and Bellarine Peninsula and also at South Bank and St Kilda in Melbourne CBD. In the West capacity has been added along the Swan River Precinct and in Fremantle and in South Australia busy celebration areas of Glenelg, Victor Harbour and Riverside


For further information on Optus visit: www.optus.com.au
Media contact:
Elizabeth Greene/Siobhan Quinn
Optus Corporate Affairs
Tel: (02) 8082 7850

[1] This represents the 24 hour period from 3pm on New Years Eve (31 December 2009) to 3pm on New Years Day (1 January 2010) AEST.


SOURCE: Optus