Defence Awards Telstra Six-Year Contract for Enhanced Telecommunications

The defence telecommunications network includes networks at 430 sites in Australia (photo : aurecongroup)

(IMP) -- Defence has signed a $1.1 billion contract with Telstra for the provision of telecommunications services. 

The six-and-a-half year contract will enable Defence to transform its communications technology including better integrating fixed telecommunications with satellite and tactical networks. 

Defence Chief Information Officer Dr Peter Lawrence said the transformation of its network was central to wider strategic reforms throughout the Department. 

“This partnership will deliver Defence with robust and secure information communications technology, while creating greater efficiencies and lower costs,” Dr Lawrence said. 

“The project includes a major transformation program of work and the ongoing sustainment of Defence’s telecommunications environment.” 

Telstra Chief Executive Officer David Thodey said the work with Defence would draw on the company’s long heritage of serving Government customers and its experience of large scale network transformations. 

“Telstra’s aim is to deliver technology that can become the backbone of Australian Defence for the next decade and beyond,” Mr Thodey said. 

“The agreement represents the largest customer undertaking in Telstra’s history and will support military operations at home and abroad. 

“We will create 350 new positions to help serve the contract, including recruiting some of the nation’s leading IT, network and security experts. 

“The use of technology such as unified communications, advanced video conferencing as well as tablet and smartphone usage, will provide a vital link connecting troops, commanders, bases and allies around the world,” he said. 

Defence will partner with Telstra to implement the transformed network solution which has a targeted completion date of mid-2016. 

The Defence telecommunications network includes networks at 430 sites in Australia, supporting some 100,000 users in Australia and overseas. The project will significantly improve network performance and meet capability requirements to 2023.

(Aus DoD)