Cable & Wireless Optus today unveiled its plan to achieve greater competition in the inbound and call centre market place. With inbound number portability, Cable & Wireless Optus is set to give business a huge boost by offering more flexibility, lower prices and better features in the 13, 1300 and 1800 number range.

From tomorrow, competition will be opened up, providing inbound number portability between carriers. This means businesses can keep their existing phone numbers, but have the freedom to choose the most competitive carrier.

Rob Parcell, Director of Voice & Data Marketing, Cable & Wireless Optus, said, "Optus brought competition to the telecommunications industry in Australia and we are excited yet again to be offering competitive prices and a range of features to these business customers."

"Until now, prices have been artificially high. Competition will help bring them down," he said.

"Businesses have been unwilling to switch providers for these services, because they would literally have to throw out their existing numbers which they had spent a lot of money promoting," said Mr Parcell.

Under the new system, businesses will be able to choose from a common pool of numbers rather than from carrier-specific numbers.

"This means customers will now have a much wider choice of 13, 1300 and 1800 numbers with the provider they want - even if they need a very specific number," Mr Parcell said.

"Optus has been instrumental in ensuring that real competition is brought into this market, which is estimated to be worth over $650 million dollars a year," he said.

"We have been lobbying hard to ensure that inbound number portability is introduced and even recommended the technical systems which have been put into place to allow the portability to occur quickly and efficiently," Mr Parcell said.

For more information:
Stephen Woodhill
Cable & Wireless Optus
Phone: (02) 9342 7850