Optus, the second largest Australian mobile carrier, has announced that it will start offering two new satellite phones from Thuraya Telecommunications, a well-known satellite mobile services provider. This comes after Optus and Thuraya (based in the United Arab Emirates) have signed an agreement that will bring even more devices and services in the future.

The upcoming Thuraya handsets, a dual-mode GSM/Satellite one and a Satellite-only one, will both feature internal GPS, Bluetooth and SMS capabilities, while the first one will also pack a photo camera and will allow people to easily use any of the Optus and the Thuraya networks.

Talking about the deal with Thuraya, Paul Sheridan, Head of Optus Satellite, stated, "This partnership means that customers in regional areas will no longer need to carry around multiple or bulky handsets. These unique handsets will refresh our mobile handset range offering next generation, GSM style phones to our customers. They are the world's smallest satellite mobile phones and are almost unrecognizable as traditional satellite handsets, not to mention their features and intelligence."

Yousuf Al Sayed, Thuraya's Chief Executive Officer, added, "Optus is a valued partner and will act as a major Australian national service provider for Thuraya's proven mobile handheld offerings. Our partnership will be expanding very soon to include other innovative solutions for broadband, marine, rural and other specialised applications. With an excellent track record in satellite delivery and mobile services, Optus was a natural choice in the Asia Pacific region."

For the moment, there are no pricing details regarding the new Thuraya handsets. However, Optus said the new phones would be available all around Australia, starting this month (August), via the carrier's MobileSat dealerships and Business sales channels. Later this year, the Optus World stores and the wholesale partners of the operator will also offer the devices.