Optus Mobile has joined forces with the Western Australia Police Service to launch SMSAssist© - an information and enquiries service for the deaf, hard of hearing and speech impaired community.

SMSAssist© enables two-way communication between the police and people in the community with communications disabilities. When the police receive an SMS enquiry on their desktop terminal they can respond by typing a message on the same terminal - the message is then sent, via SMS, to the enquirer's mobile phone.

Allen Lew, Managing Director Optus Mobile, said Optus was proud to be involved in this community-based project.

"SMS messaging has taken the world by storm and improved communications for many people in many different ways.

"This particular project has demonstrated how Optus and its partner in this project, Amnet Ltd, work with organisations to develop tailored solutions that address particular communication needs," Mr Lew said.

"The Police Service is always looking for ways in which it can better serve the community. Using technology in clever ways is improving the way in which the police assist the community, and SMSAssist© is a great example of this," Western Australia Police Commissioner Barry Matthews said.

The service will commence on 6 June 2003 and will be available in Western Australia wherever there is mobile coverage.

For more information on SMSAssist© please visit www.police.wa.gov.au/smsassist

For more information:
Germaine Graham
Optus Corporate Affairs
Tel: (02) 9342 5042