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Optus business mobile plans review

Let’s get down to (Optus) business.

Optus has dedicated business mobile solutions for up to 300 plans , but the main focus of this page is plans reviews for smaller businesses. Enterprise customers with more than 300 employees in need of phone plans can alternatively contact Optus Enterprise for support . While Optus tailors mobile plan solutions for between one and five employees or six to 300 staff, smaller businesses can take advantage of the value and savings found in Optus mobile plans built for everyday users.

Optus may not have as wide-reaching network as Telstra (for 4G and, particularly, 5G ), but it’s still got coverage in most parts of Australia. Basically, if you business operates in any populous part of Australia, you shouldn’t have any issues with an Optus mobile plan. Optus has good dollar-to-data value on its plans, with plenty of data and decent inclusions. It’s a shame there aren’t cheaper SIM Only plans and 1.5Mbps post-max-speed throttling isn’t ideal, but there aren’t any excess data charges.

Optus business mobile value for money

We advise small businesses to use SIM Only plans over Prepaid plans , unless you use a phone more reactively and don’t have on-the-go data needs. If that’s you, long-expiry Prepaid plans are worth considering to help keep costs down.

Note that all Optus SIM Only plans include access to the Optus 5G network (where available). Similarly, Optus SIM Only plans let users share data on eligible plans under a single account, which is a good choice for small business users. Optus SIM Only plans start with the $49 Optus Choice Plus Plan, which comes with 30GB of data.

There’s money to be saved if you go with an Optus MVNO or Vodafone MVNO , but you’ll have to pay closer to this particular Optus plan price if you want partial Telstra 5G or Vodafone 5G access. Below are some of the most popular SIM Only plans from our database with at least 30GB of data.

The dollar-to-data value increases dramatically with the next Optus plan. For not a lot more per month, the $59 Optus Choice Plus Plan comes with 100GB of data, plus unlimited calls and text messages (no MMS) to 35 selected dialling destinations.

That 70GB jump in data thins out the SIM Only competition. There are other competing telcos on the Optus, Telstra wholesale and Vodafone network with better pricing and/or more data, but international call inclusions and data sharing are rarer perks. For comparison, below is a daily updating list of SIM Only plans from our database with at least 100GB of monthly data.

The next cheapest plan is the $69 Optus Choice Plan, which has 220GB of data and the same international inclusions. Again, Optus continues the trend of paying not a lot more for a whole lot of data.

Competition is a lot thinner when you start dealing with 200GB of data. There are alternatives on the Optus 5G and Vodafone 5G network at this price point, which are worth considering if you need more than 200GB of data. Below is a daily updating list of popular SIM Only plans from our database with at least 200GB of data.

The penultimate SIM Only plan is the $89 Optus Choice Plus Plan, which ordinarily comes with 360GB of data for use on the Optus 5G network. Optus is currently running a promotion that bumps that figure up to 500GB, so the amount of bulk value here blows away most of the competition.

There’s only one other plan in our comparison engine that competes with 400GB+ of data, and that’s the $85 SIM Only Ultra+ Plan from Vodafone, which comes with unlimited max-speed data on the Vodafone 5G network. Check out these two plans side-by-side below.

If you’d prefer a dedicated Optus business plan, consider Optus Business Mobile Plus . This plan structure supports between one and 10 SIMs. There’s a 10% discount for two sims, 20% for three, 26% discount for four to seven SIMs, and a 30% discount for eight to 10. The plan starts at $55 for 80GB of data, and every SIM added boosts the shareable data pool by 80GB. Like personal Optus SIM Only plans, Optus Business Mobile Plus plans come with Optus 5G access, no excess data charges (1.5Mbps throttling after data cap) as well as unlimited calls and SMS to 35 selected destinations.

Optus business mobile features and perks

All Optus SIM Only and Prepaid plans come with unlimited calls and text messages (SMS and MMS) to Australian numbers. For Optus Prepaid monthly plans, you can roll over up to 200GB of data and up to 84 days if you recharge early. Not every Optus Prepaid plan includes Optus 5G network access, but all Optus SIM Only plans do. Optus SIM Only plans also include data sharing under a single account for eligible plans.

Except for the cheapest Optus SIM Only plan, all other options come with unlimited calls and SMS to 35 selected dialling destinations, which includes:

• China (mainland)
• New Zealand
• South Korea
• United Kingdom
• United States of America

There aren’t any excess data charges for Optus SIM Only plans, but the trade-off is a sluggish 1.5Mbps connection speed for the duration of your billing month.

Optus is one of three main telecommunications providers in Australia, which offers mobile and broadband internet services. Its mobile network has the second largest reach (behind Telstra but ahead of Vodafone) and supports 5G, 4G and 3G cellular connectivity.

Optus business mobile support

We understand that one person’s support experience with a telco may differ from another’s, which is why we look to quantitative support pathways. Optus offers a wide range of support via telephone, online chat, social media, self-paced online support, as well as brick-and-mortar stores for in-person support.

Optus also has dedicated business support options for authorised representatives. Chat with Optus business support via online messaging service or call them on 133 343, Monday to Friday 8:00am to 7:00pm AEST or Sat and Sunday 8:00am to 6:00pm.

How to sign up for an Optus business mobile plan

From the list of Optus plans below, pick the plan that’s best for your business needs, then click on the ‘Go’ button. You’ll be taken to the corresponding Optus mobile plans page. Have a read over the inclusions and confirm the plan you’d like, then follow the sign-up steps. Alternatively, call Optus business mobile on 1300 106 481 for sales support.

Optus business mobile plans

Below is a list of all Optus SIM Only mobile plans (sorted by popularity).

How we review mobile providers

Whether we’re evaluating personal or business mobile plans from telcos, we follow the same approach. It starts with dollar-to-data value for money. Telcos that receive high scores tend to offer more gigabytes than the cost of a plan.

Still, network coverage is also a key consideration, which is why the Telstra and Telstra wholesale networks rank favourably with us as they’re the largest. Optus and Vodafone aren’t too far behind, admittedly, but the Telstra 5G network has a clear lead over Optus which, in turn, is ahead of Vodafone.

We like to see mobile plans with meaningful inclusions, be they access to additional services or more practical features like data sharing and no excess data charges. In terms of support, we tally the number of support pathways a telco offers and use that as a guide to how much a telco has invested in helping customers with issues. For personal mobile plans, we may also take publicly available customer reviews into account.

Optus business mobile FAQs

Optus Sport used to be included with Optus SIM Only plans, but now it’s a separate subscription. Sign up for Optus Sport via the Optus SubHub for $6.99 per month.

It really depends on what you’re after. Telstra business mobile plans may offer faster speeds via the widespread Telstra 5G network. Optus business mobile plans have better dollar-to-data value, but the Optus 5G network isn’t as far-reaching as Telstra’s.

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Disclaimer: The information featured in this article is based on our best estimates of pricing, package details, contract stipulations, and service available at the time of writing. This is not a guarantee. All information is subject to change. Pricing will vary based on various factors, including, but not limited to, the customer’s location, package chosen, added features and equipment, the purchaser’s credit score, etc. For the most accurate information, please ask your customer service representative. Clarify all fees and contract details before signing a contract or finalizing your purchase. Each individual's unique needs should be considered when deciding on chosen products.

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Business vs personal mobile plans

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Sweating in spring office air isn't helping, five minimum features needed in your choice of a business laptop, venom blackbook zero 15 phantom, do business plans offer any benefits for small businesses we compare mobile plans from major providers..

Have you ever wondered how ‘business’ mobile plans differ from ‘personal’ plans? 

Well, quite often for small businesses, the only significant difference is the name, according to our research.

We compared a number of business plans with equivalent consumer plans, and found some curious anomalies. In a couple of cases, for example, the fine print for ‘business’ mobile plans indicated they could only be used for personal use.

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At Optus, its $40 consumer plan provides unlimited standard national calls, unlimited SMS and MMS within Australia and to certain countries, and up to 300 voice minutes to those selected countries. Plus 7GB of data. 

And the $40 business plan? As far as we can see, the inclusions and terms are pretty much the same. The consumer plan rules out ‘non-ordinary’ or ‘commercial purpose use’ but bizarrely the critical information summary for the business plan makes the same exclusion.

So we turned to the Optus Fair Go policy for clarification.

“If you are a residential customer our services are for your personal use only,” the policy said.

“If you are a business customer, including a small to medium business customer, our services are for your use in the ordinary course of business.

“You may not use the service in a manner which is ‘unreasonable’ or ‘unacceptable’.”

That seems to mean that you aren't allowed to make or take business calls on a personal plan, or personal calls (“should I buy some milk on the way home?”) on a business plan.

An Optus spokesperson explained: “Our consumer plans are designed for personal use while our business plans are for use in the ordinary course of business plus some personal use where needed.

“We understand there will be certain circumstances where a customer needs to use their service outside its primary intended purpose. In these cases, we offer a level of flexibility for customers to make a judgement on what is reasonable and acceptable use of their service based on their contract.”

So the good news is that the way most of us use one plan for business and personal purposes is acceptable, providing the selected plan reflects the main use.

It might not be obvious from the everyday use of the terms, but Optus (and probably other carriers) distinguishes between ‘business’ and ‘commercial’ use. The company confirmed that ‘commercial use' refers to levels of voice or data use normally seen only in call centres, or to mobile data used to access enterprise-style services rather than those associated with micro to medium businesses.

And although the inclusions and price may be the same for consumer and business plans, “Our SMB plans offer a number of benefits for business customers including billing made out to your registered ABN for tax purposes, access to business specialists in over 120 of our retail stores, premium support from our dedicated SMB team when you bundle two or more services, and invitations to exclusive business events,” said the Optus spokesperson.

The Optus Fair Go policy does goes on to give several examples of unreasonable use, most of which seem quite reasonable, such as not allowing automatic diallers, resale and bulk messaging. But the prohibition on using a ‘mobile voice’ SIM card in a non ‘mobile voice’ device seems odd. What difference does it make to the carrier whether you tether a tablet to the phone or temporarily move the SIM from a phone to a tablet?

The reason, according to the Optus spokesperson, is that requiring separate SIMs “allows us to optimise their service for the device, the network and billing purposes”. Optus does allow data pooling between plans, but you’re up for at least $10 a month per additional device, though that does include 1GB of shareable data.

Over at Vodafone, it’s pretty much the same situation when it comes to distinctions between personal and business customers.

The $60 personal plan provides unlimited standard national calls, unlimited standard national and overseas SMSes, 120 standard international minutes to selected countries and 6GB of data (a special offer running at the time of writing boosts that to 12GB).

The $60 business plan has the same inclusions.

But the personal plan is for “personal use by approved customers only” while the business plan is for “personal use by approved customers with an ABN/ACN only”.

We asked Vodafone to explain how a business plan can be for personal use only, but received no reply more than a week later. The only interpretations we can suggest are either that it essentially the same as Optus's business/commercial dichotomy but using different words, or that you can’t use that plan on a phone that’s used by more than one person (for example, the phone carried by whichever member of a team is on call over a particular weekend).

Telstra's personal and business plans are slightly different. For example, $50 a month gets personal customers ‘$1000 worth of calls’, unlimited SMS and 2.5GB of data, while business customers pay $55 for ‘$1200 worth of calls’, unlimited SMS and 5GB of data.

Bear in mind Telstra’s call values are calculated on what we consider to be an inflated tariff of $1 per minute. By comparison, even a $19 Virgin Mobile prepaid recharge can have a rate as low as 15c per minute.

A Telstra spokesperson* said that customers must have an ACN or ABN to qualify for a business plan, but business customers can opt for consumer plans if they consider the price and inclusions are a better fit.

"For example, we provide our small business customers with more voice value, because we know they make calls more frequently than our consumer customers," the spokesperson said, adding that the business plans also allow for free calls between mobiles on the same account.

Other benefits of the Go Business Mobile plans include a free data SIM for use with a tablet or dongle, with both devices sharing the same pot of data, and the ability to put cloud services such as Office 365, Symantec Endpoint Protection and Deputy rostering and workforce management onto the same bill.

Data sharing across multiple services is available on Telstra's consumer and business plans.

Mobile virtual network operators – the companies that provide mobile services based on third-party networks such as Telstra, Optus or Vodafone – generally make a clear distinction between personal and business usage.

For example, the conditions for amaysim's Unlimited plans flatly state they are “available to individual customers only (not companies or businesses), who use their mobile phone for personal use only. If we determine that you are using Unlimited 3GB other than for personal use or if we determine that you are using the Plan in a way that does or may, in our opinion, adversely affect the network, we reserve the right (at our option) to transfer you to the amaysim As You Go Plan, or to immediately suspend or cancel your access to the Service”.

We asked amaysim what it considers ‘personal use’ to be, and its compliance and service operations manager Chad Heininger responded: “We see personal use as individuals using their amaysim service primarily for private use in a way not connected with carrying out a business activity. As per our Fair Go Policy, our customers are unable to use our service for ‘business purposes’ as this falls outside of personal use. We aren’t specific about what constitutes as business use, because we trust our customers to use their judgment and play by the rules. For example, we would not expect our customers to use our service to support a large business or organisation as this clearly would be for ‘business purposes’. We also expect our customers to use our service in a reasonable and acceptable manner.”

It sounds to us that there's a certain amount of wriggle room – if your small-business ‘business use’ is similar to that of a personal customer in terms of the number of calls and texts, how would Amaysim tell the difference, and why would it be bothered? That said, we're not encouraging anyone to breach the T&Cs.

While large organisations can receive volume pricing, the benefits of business plans for small businesses are hard to quantify. In fact, the differences between many personal and business plans in terms of inclusions and costs are so insignificant that we can’t help feeling that the distinction is mostly arbitrary.

However, that also means there’s rarely any downside to opting for a business plan rather than the corresponding personal version.

So if a phone is going to be used primarily for business purposes, you might as well opt for a business plan and be fully compliant with the plan’s terms and conditions. It’s likely to cost much the same – and it reduces the admittedly slight risk that your service will be terminated because you went outside the T&Cs. 

* Note: This article was updated on 21 April 2016 due to Telstra responding to our request for more information after the article's publication.

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Optus mobile plans review

How does australia's second largest telco stack up to telstra and cheaper alternatives.

Tom's Guide Verdict

While there's no denying that Telstra clearly has the lead amongst Australia's three major telcos, Optus isn't that far behind, boasting the country's second-largest network and the title for fastest 5G download speeds. It's also far more affordable than Telstra, with fairly priced plans that offer plenty of data. Of course, the telco has a long way to go to regain Australia's trust after suffering one of the worst cyberattacks in our history, alongside a nationwide outage that lasted more than half a day.

Plans offer good value

Fast 5G download speeds

Great roaming add-ons

Reputation in the toilet

Speeds capped on pre-paid plans

Still uses off-shore call centres

Why you can trust Tom's Guide Our writers and editors spend hours analyzing and reviewing products, services, and apps to help find what's best for you. Find out more about how we test, analyze, and rate.

Since its commercial arrival on the Aussie telco scene back in 1992, Optus has maintained its position as Australia's second-largest network operator, with Telstra consistently holding onto the number one spot in terms of number of subscribers.

A subsidiary of Singaporean telecommunications giant Singtel, Optus offers a range of mobile plans which offer big data at reasonable price points. It has both pre-paid and post-paid choices, as well as plans which include a handset.

Although Optus comes in second to Telstra with regards to its overall network coverage, the telco is still able to claim that its 3G and 4G networks reach 98.5% of the Australian population. 

And while Telstra seems to have a significant lead when it comes to 5G coverage (based on nPerf's independent coverage maps ) and is claimed to now reach 85% of the Australian population, it's worth nothing that OpenSignal has awarded Optus the 5G Download Speed crown for the last 4 years running. Of course, most users probably won't reach those top speeds unless they're right next to an Optus tower, and the network is relatively uncongested.

As for customer service, Optus still uses off-shore call centres in India and the Philippines, though it does operate local call centres in Sydney, Melbourne and Adelaide, too. 

However, the real elephant in the room is that Optus has had a rough couple of years — in 2022, Optus experienced one of the biggest cyberattacks in Australian history , resulting in the personal information of roughly 10 million customers being exposed. 

This was followed by a nationwide outage in 2023, which lasted approximately 12-13 hours, once again affecting around 10 million customers, including 400,000 businesses.

So while Optus has the second-largest network and a range of decently priced mobile plans, the question remains as to whether the telco can regain the trust of its customers — both existing, and potential.

Optus mobile plans and pricing

• Optus SIM-only plans far more reasonably priced than Telstra
• No lock-in contracts for Optus SIM-only plans

Of the three main network operators in Australia, Optus arguably sits in the sweet spot between Telstra and Vodafone when it comes to price and value. 

Telstra undoubtedly has the best coverage, but is by far the most expensive. And while Vodafone offers the most monthly data at prices which are on par with Optus, it ranks third in terms of coverage and download speeds. 

That leaves Optus with a range of plans which are well-priced and still data-generous, with coverage that's quite decent despite falling short of Telstra's reach. In other words, Optus is probably the telco that Goldilocks would choose.

Optus SIM-only plans start at AU$49 p/m for the Small Optus Choice Plus Plan , which comes with 30GB of monthly data, which means you're paying about AU$1.63 per GB. 

That's followed by the Medium Optus Choice Plan , which costs AU$59 p/m for 100GB of monthly data (a cost of AU$0.59 per GB). That's double what Telstra offers in terms of data on its entry-level Basic Upfront plan, which is more expensive at AU$62 p/m for 50GB (or AU$1.24 per GB).

Next is the Large Optus Choice Plus Plan , which costs AU$69 p/m for 220GB of monthly data, or around AU$0.31 per GB. Yes, you heard right: for a mere AU$7 extra p/m, Optus gives you 170GB more monthly data than Telstra's aforementioned 50GB Basic Upfront plan.

If that still isn't enough data for you, Optus also offers an Extra Large Optus Choice Plus Plan , which costs AU$89 p/m and includes 360GB of monthly data (about AU$0.25 per GB). 

Additionally, Optus currently offers an Optus Plus Promo Plan , which gives you 500GB of monthly data at AU$69 (a tiny AU$0.14 a gig) for the first 12 months, after which the price goes up to AU$89 p/m (a still very-reasonable AU$0.18 per GB). Note that this is technically a special offer, and while there's no end date on it at the time of this review, it will only be available until withdrawn.

Also worth noting is that there are no lock-in contracts on any Optus SIM-only plan, and each one brings uncapped 5G network access in selected areas (excluding Northern Territory), unlimited standard talk and text within Australia, and unlimited standard international talk and text to 35 selected destinations. You can also share your data across eligible plans on the same account, and donate your unused monthly data to Australians in need.

Although there are no lock-in contracts on any of the above Choice Plus plans, Optus also offers a range of prepaid Flex Plus plans for those who don't want to risk extra charges, or only need service for a fixed period of time.

Optus Flex Plus plans with a 28-day expiry period start at AU$35 and come with fluctuating amounts of data. For instance, new customers on this plan get 40GB of data along with a bonus 20GB of data for those first 28 days. After this, the plan loses the bonus data on the second and third recharge (a total of 40GB), then drops down to 20GB from then on. That means after the introductory period you'll be paying AU$1.75 per GB.

Similarly, a AU$45 Flex Plus plan provides 60GB + 20GB of bonus data (80GB in total) during the first 28 days, losing the bonus data on the second and third recharge, before landing on 30GB after that (or $1.50 per GB ongoing). Alternatively, you can opt for a plan which costs AU$55 for 80GB on the first three recharges, which then drops down to 40GB after that (a rate of AU$1.38 per GB).

Of course, there are other long-term 186-day and 365-day options for those who don't want to think about recharging for a while, though you'll have to pay a larger sum upfront.

Note that there is one caveat with Optus's Flex Plus prepaid plans; while all will get you access to the telco's 3G, 4G and 5G networks, download speeds on these plans are capped to 150Mbps across the board. It's also worth mentioning that every Flex Plus plan includes data rollover up to 200GB, which will be applied as long as you recharge before expiry or have an active auto-recharge set up.

Optus mobile coverage

• Excellent 3G / 4G coverage, but lags behind Telstra in 5G reach
• Optus awarded fastest 5G download speeds by OpenSignal

Given that Optus operates the second-largest mobile network in Australia, it probably comes as no surprise that it also offers the second-best coverage. 

Where Optus is closest to Telstra is in its 3G and 4G reach, with a claimed 98.5% of the Aussie population covered. However, while Telstra's 5G mobile network is said to currently reach roughly 87% of Australians , Optus doesn't currently make any specific percentage claims — and if nPerf's coverage maps are any indication, it still has a lot of catching up to do.

During our rundown of the various mobile plans offered by Optus, you may have noticed that 5G network access was only available in selected areas, and excluded Northern Territory entirely. Sure enough, a closer look at nPerf's coverage map for Darwin shows a complete absence of Optus 5G network coverage, and only a small 3G and 4G presence. 

Simply put, if you live in the Top End, you're better off going with Telstra or Vodafone — both of which offer a far greater 3G, 4G and 5G presence in NT. That said, if you live in any of Australia's major cities along the east coast, you should be OK. Optus does offer 5G network access in Perth, though the rest of the west coast is fairly barren in terms of coverage.

Optus mobile plans: Extras, perks and offers

• Big discount on Optus Sport access
• Discounts on streaming subscriptions with SubHub

In terms of extras, Optus postpaid SIM-only customers receive 3 months of Amazon Prime for free when they sign up via Optus SubHub. The latter lets you manage and pay for subscriptions in one place, which are added to your regular phone bill. 

Additionally, customers can save up to 10% on streaming subscriptions when they add three or more eligible subscriptions to SubHub. Supported services include Netflix, Amazon Prime, Binge, Paramount Plus and more.

Best of all, sports-lovers who sign up to Optus Sport via SubHub get a huge discount on the service's monthly subscription cost, bringing it down from AU$24.99 p/m to just AU$6.99 p/m.

Optus also offers very competitive international roaming add-ons — for AU$5 per day, you get 1GB of data, 100 minutes of talk and 100 texts per day to use in over 90 Zone 1 destinations.

Optus mobile plans: customer service and community reviews

• Support team still has call centres in India and the Philippines
• Optus reputation at an all-time low

While Telstra has drastically decreased its use of off-shore call centres since 2021, switching over to a mostly Australia-based support team, the Singtel-owned Optus still relies on call centres located in India and the Philippines. 

Of course, Optus also has call centres in Sydney, Melbourne and Adelaide, although you probably won't know whether you're connected to one of those or someone from an overseas branch. 

Thankfully, Optus has a huge retail presence in Australia, with over 350 branded Optus Yes outlets across the country, making it relatively easy for customers to receive face-to-face service.

Still, not everyone is happy with Optus, with the telco receiving mostly negative online reviews on sites like Product Review and Trustpilot , where it has earned overall customer satisfaction scores of 1.3 and 1.2, respectively. 

With that in mind, it's important to note that both Telstra and Vodafone have achieved similar scores, which goes to show that most customers will only bother reviewing something if they've had a bad experience.

Even with that disclaimer, there's no denying that the telco's reputation is at an all-time low, following an immense cyberattack in 2022 which left the information of over 10 million Optus customers exposed.

This was not helped at all by a nationwide outage which occurred the following year, leaving 10 million customers and 400,000 businesses without mobile or internet access for around 14 hours. Not only did the outage leave vulnerable Australians without the means to contact anyone for help, it also left business owners who rely on EFTPOS twisting in the wind for an entire working day.

Given the extreme public backlash that followed these two disasters, it's no wonder that Optus CEO Kelly Bayer Rosmarin went on to resign in November 2023.

However, the telco still has a long way to go in regaining Australia's trust — the market research company Roy Morgan named Optus as Australia's most distrusted brand in March 2024, suggesting the telco's black eye is going to linger for a while.

Optus mobile plans: Bottom line

Is an Optus mobile plan worth your money? In terms of value, Optus mobile plans are far more competitively priced than Telstra's, with SIM-only offerings that deliver big data and worthwhile perks. 

As Australia's second-largest telco, it's no surprise that Optus falls behind Telstra in terms of coverage. That said, its reach is still significant — particularly when it comes to 3G and 4G coverage.

Of course, there's no denying that Optus has made some significant blunders with regards to customer security and service over the last couple of years — some of which are hard to forgive. Optus has posted an open letter to customers that includes a commitment to "do better", but is that enough?

If you're willing to forgive Optus, you can at least rest assured that its mobile plans are good value and will likely satisfy most customers (outside of the Northern Territory).

• Best Australian phone plans with international roaming

Stephen Lambrechts is the Managing Editor of Tom's Guide AU and has written professionally across the categories of tech, film, television and gaming for the last 15 years. Before Tom's Guide, he spent several years as a Senior Journalist at TechRadar, had a brief stint as Editor in Chief at Official Xbox Magazine Australia, and has written for such publications as APC, TechLife Australia, T3, FilmInk, AskMen, Daily Telegraph and IGN. He's an expert when it comes to smartphones, TVs, gaming and streaming. In his spare time, he enjoys watching obscure horror movies on physical media, keeping an eye on the latest retro sneaker releases and listening to vinyl. Occasionally, he also indulges in other non-hipster stuff, like hiking.

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‘The very definition of a safe bet’: Did Optus make the right CEO choice?

Optus has finally appointed a new CEO — the current chief of NBN Co, Stephen Rue — who won’t start until November, a full year after former boss Kelly Bayer Rosmarin resigned in the wake of a disastrously handled national outage .

As the boss of the National Broadband Network, Rue is currently the highest-paid government employee in the country, and seems — on paper — uniquely suited to run a national communications network. But is he the right choice to steer the telco’s reputation back on track? We ask the experts.

Benjamin Haslem: Director of media and public affairs, Icon Reputation

Optus parent company, Singtel, has tried to tick all the boxes needed to rehabilitate the company’s brand – not only with consumers but also with the Federal Government.

According to media reports, Rue was hired for his experience working with governments and in cyber security.

This expertise, added to his time as NBN CEO, sends a message to consumers that Optus has a leader who will protect their data and keep their mobile phones and internet-connected.

His government experience is a nod to the Federal Communications Minister, Michelle Rowland, that Optus wants to mend bridges with Canberra.

Last November, Optus chairman Paul O’Sullivan said the company’s next CEO should have experience in the telecommunications industry, effectively ruling out former NSW Premier and Optus executive Gladys Berejiklian for the top job.

A possible negative is the NBN’s reputation for failing to deliver, particularly outside the cities.

Rue was quoted yesterday saying he was looking forward to the “country as a whole … harness(ing) the power of digital connectivity to drive economic participation and social inclusion”.

Given the NBN’s perceived poor track record in the bush, this comment may draw a few wry smiles west of the Great Divide. However, it does dovetail nicely with a bi-partisan political desire in Canberra to improve digital equity and inclusion.

Optus partnering with TPG Telecom to create a new joint regional network demonstrates the telco is walking the walk.

Rue’s 17 years at News Corp Australia and three years as the Chair of NRL side the Melbourne Storm, suggests he has the private sector smarts to handle the rough and tumble of corporate life and is used to reporting back to head office overseas.

His media contacts won’t hurt either.

Of note, given former CEO Kelly Bayer Rosmarin blamed Singtel for last year’s mobile and internet outage, was the Singapore telco saying that along with Rue’s appointment it had created a new governance model that would be more decentralised to “empower” its businesses.

Rue won’t be able to blame head office if another crisis emerges, though Singtel did deny Bayer Rosmarin’s charge at the time.

His task now is to deliver on what Optus has promised customers since the Bayer Rosmarin departure – improved, faster, wider and less expensive mobile and internet, particularly in rural and regional areas.

He also needs to focus on lifting staff morale, which would have taken a hit in recent months.

Rue will need to communicate openly, regularly and honestly with employees, customers, investors, and other stakeholders about the telco’s challenges and his plans to address them.

It will be interesting to see if he makes changes in senior management, with a view to demonstrating this is a new Optus. However, he won’t want to cut too deeply for fear of further damaging employee confidence.

Luke Holland: Head of strategic communications at Think HQ

Stephen Rue’s appointment looks like the very definition of a safe bet. He is well-qualified, well-liked by his peers and well-placed in the sector to already know his way around. Rue’s resumé is pretty impeccable, too – his contacts through the Government-owned NBN will be worth their weight in gold, and a stint at NewsCorp never hurts from a media coverage point of view. His pandemic-era work at NBN, when our broadband network became a literal lifeline for millions, earned real plaudits, and shows a knack for leveraging the power of tech for the greater good.

You need to look very hard indeed to find a public misstep from him, with only some slightly ill-judged comments about broadband pricing several pages into his Google history. Presentation-wise, some eyebrows may be raised by Optus replacing a dynamic woman with an older man, but the coverage so far has been (perhaps predictably) pretty muted on that score.

And Rue is now master of his own destiny in a way his predecessor never was. Indeed, Singtel’s decision to finally take off the training wheels and let Optus and its Board make decisions about Australia here in Australia is in some ways the real story here, and acknowledgement that command and control ownership has been an issue for Optus for some time.

A big test will come if Optus once again find themselves in the spotlight, and how they show they’ve learned their lessons from last year’s PR car crash. But the real test for Rue? Keeping Optus out of the spotlight all together, keeping customers happy and mending fences with government. And that’s a tall enough order for anyone.

Sally Branson: Crisis communications expert

With the announcement of current NBN chief Stephen Rue as its new CEO, Optus has taken a safe step on its journey to reputation repair.

Significant industry knowledge would have been a key factor in the appointment, but we’d be naive to suggest that a coat of Teflon didn’t play a part. A person with a work history of avoiding negative associations would be a significant bonus when looking for a new CEO.

Having been at NBN for a decade, he’s had his share of issue-rich times in the top role but didn’t become a household name connected with contention.

Appointing a public servant – albeit the highest-paid public servant in the country – Stephen Rue has a career history of being able to serve many masters – which will bode well for an overseas-owned entity. Although Singtel Optus has perhaps learned some significant cultural lessons about Australian operations over the past two years and has said they’re moving to a more decentralised model of leadership, the reality is that they are overseas-owned and have a powerful board.

In their announcement statement, they were clear one of the incoming CEO’s key roles is rebuilding consumer trust – so clear in fact, it was their key statement. Reputation will certainly be a KPI.

Phoebe Netto: Managing director – Pure Public Relations

Optus resisted the temptation that many businesses with a maligned outgoing CEO fall victim to: immediately hiring a new CEO who could sweep in as the hero and change the narrative in the short term. Although that likely speaks to their corporate structure more than a newfound concern for public perception. Either way, waiting six months was a wise choice.

When you have a high-profile CEO publicly falling through the trap door, whoever is crowned the new CEO must be prepared to take responsibility for an organisational transformation as well as a PR one.

In this announcement from Optus, Mr Rue has promised an accelerated transformation. The problem with this is that it does not manage customer expectations. Transformation takes time. Making a former CEO the scapegoat and the new CEO the rescuer only works if there will be a drastic improvement to the customer experience shortly after.

A new CEO is certainly an opportunity for a brand refresh, but you need to be careful about how much fanfare is made. If it will take some time for a positive impact to be seen, the reality is that the new CEO’s initial moves will be anti-climactic at best. Often when a CEO has been ousted or resigns in negative circumstances, there is a great deal of change and repair required – and this usually takes time, especially if there is internal resistance and a need for deep cultural change.

Having a CEO with a high profile can be immensely beneficial to the PR of a business. A well-known business leader who is liked, trusted, and seen as an authority can attract confidence, help people connect with a brand, and lift the overall profile of the organisation.

Mr Rue certainly has credibility from his work history, but he doesn’t have a profile that consumers will recognise or resonate with. In fact, there seems to be a lot of mixed sentiment among consumers regarding the NBN. Since consumers don’t know what else to make of him, this will inevitably be used to form first impressions.

For this new leader to bring customers with him, he needs to speak directly to them. His quotes in the media release are loaded with corporate jargon and do not speak directly to consumers about what matters to them. Who is he appealing to when he says he wants “the country as a whole [to] harness the power of digital connectivity to drive economic participation and social inclusion?” It’s not the average consumer, that’s for sure.

And while he acknowledges the need for transformation, he has not said anything that will begin to repair trust. The board and Mr Rue need to add building this trust to their list of immediate priorities, and then focus on bringing that trust into the brand’s future. Issues are inevitable for every business, and the larger the business the larger the scale of issues. Considering that Optus is one of Australia’s biggest and most recognisable brands, they would have done well to recognise this before bringing in a new CEO who is a scapegoat in waiting.

Dr Neryl East,  speaker and leadership credibility expert

It’s crucial that Optus and its incoming CEO draw a line in the sand and introduce a new standard of authentic communication that rebuilds credibility and trust. This needs to happen immediately and be consistent from now on.

Reputation damage has a cumulative effect; join a series of mishaps together and you’re on the back foot in a big way. Now there’s a chance for Optus to get proactive and show a change in culture and approach.

Singtel dismisses reports it is looking to sell Optus: 'We are committed to Australia for the long term'

'australians need to have confidence in our telco services': optus disaster leads to sector overhaul.

Nathan Jolly is the Deputy Editor of Mumbrella. He joined the team in July, 2023.

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NBN Co CEO poached to 'reinvigorate' Optus

Stephen rue inherits a telco in crisis..

By David Braue on May 07 2024 11:43 AM

Print article

Days after a review of its recent major outage outlined a laundry list of industry reforms, embattled telecommunications giant Optus has recruited erstwhile NBN Co CEO Stephen Rue to turn around its fortunes after two horror years that have included fines, data breaches, and a major outage.

In November, Rue will take the helm of the company, whose former CEO Kelly Bayer Rosemarin resigned in November – just weeks after it was revealed that the company had no resilience plan to protect its customers during an 8 November outage that took down more than 10 million consumer and business services.

Topping Rue’s to-do list will be the implementation of a new governance model that will give the Australian company greater independence from its Singapore based parent company, SingTel, by having Rue sit on an Optus Board to which Optus executives will directly report.

That board and executives, the company said in a statement announcing Rue’s appointment, “will work together to reset strategy and rebuild customer trust in the Optus brand” – which, recent Telecommunications Industry Ombudsman (TIO) figures show , took a hit as customers vented.

Rue’s appointment comes after a decade at NBN Co, which he joined as chief financial officer (CFO) in 2014 before becoming CEO in 2018.

During his tenure with the National Broadband Network (NBN) operator, Rue guided the company through dramatic change including a pandemic-era surge in demand ; the putative completion of the network in 2021; reshaping NBN Co’s products , services, and workforce to fight competition from the likes of satellite operator StarLink ; shifting from a focus on preparing for problematic privatisation to boosting performance and reliability; fast-tracking a network-wide upgrade from legacy copper to fibre to the premises (FTTP) services; and securing government and industry approval for a dramatically different Special Access Undertaking (SAU).

Rue’s pedigree as both CFO and CEO, backed by his operational experience in driving dramatic change at NBN Co “will serve us well as we reinvigorate Optus as Australia’s leading challenger telecommunications brand,” Optus chair Paul O’Sullivan said.

“We expect Stephen’s operational and financial background to lift service standards significantly for the benefit of our customers.”

Changing of the NBN Co guard

Rue’s acceptance of the Optus leadership means NBN Co now has six months to find a replacement, who will inherit a forward-leaning wholesale network operator that is rapidly transitioning towards providing faster, more profitable services over an expanding FTTP network as it progressively mothballs the problematic outdated copper network with which the company was saddled after the Coalition took government in 2013.

Rue “has consistently delivered against challenging targets and has fostered a strong culture of purpose, innovation, collaboration, and excellence within the company,” NBN Co chair Kate McKenzie said as Rue’s resignation was announced .

“NBN is making significant progress in upgrading the network, increasing the availability of higher speeds, and providing greater capacity and reliability.”

NBN Co CFO Philip Knox will serve as interim CEO until Rue’s replacement is named, while Optus CFO Michael Venter will continue as interim CEO of that company until Rue takes over.

A rapidly changing market – pressured by surging customer demand for bandwidth that shows no signs of stopping – will keep the pressure on both NBN Co’s new CEO and Rue, who as CEO of NBN Co’s second largest customer will remain intimately engaged with the wholesale operator’s future direction.

Yet much of his initial time at Optus will undoubtedly be occupied with cleaning up from a string of disasters that have left the company reeling after a 2022 data breach that remains among Australia’s largest and has catalysed efforts to overhaul Australian privacy regulations; shortcomings that led to a $1.5 million fine for non-compliance with emergency services regulations; and poor operational procedures that saw a simple software upgrade snowball into a nationwide telecommunications blackout that prevented nearly 2,700 people from reaching Triple Zero operators.

Those shortcomings triggered a major review of telecommunications policy, to which the government recently responded by accepting all of its 18 recommendations and rallying a range of industry and regulatory bodies to work together for fundamental reform.

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