Optus, the Australian telco, is celebrating 20 years in the space industry, marking the launch of the A1 satellite in 1985. Along with Singtel, Optus offers customers access to more than 38 satellites covering Australia, New Zealand, Asia, Europe, Africa, China, India, Hawaii and the West Coast of the United States.

“Optus’ 20 years of success in the satellite industry has been firmly built on the strength of its product innovation, its unwavering reputation for expertise, professionalism and service reliability in the satellite industry,” Warren Hardy, managing director of Optus Wholesale and Satellite, said in a statement.

The operator hopes to launch its D1 satellite in 2006 as it bids to maintain a strong position in the region in terms of providing satellite services.