UBER
An illustration picture shows the logo of car-sharing service app Uber on a smartphone next to the picture of an official German taxi sign in Frankfurt, September 15, 2014. A Frankfurt high court will hold a hearing on a recent lawsuit brought against Uberpop by Taxi Deutschland on Tuesday. San Francisco-based Uber, which allows users to summon taxi-like services on their smartphones, offers two main services, Uber, its classic low-cost, limousine pick-up service, and Uberpop, a newer ride-sharing service, which connects private drivers to passengers - an established practice in Germany that nonetheless operates in a legal grey area of rules governing commercial transportation. The company has faced regulatory scrutiny and court injunctions from its early days, even as it has expanded rapidly into roughly 150 cities around the world. Reuters/Kai Pfaffenbach

Australian telecommunications giant Optus has teamed up with ride-sharing company Uber to offer exclusive range of services to customers. The association will also introduce Uber as the business travel option for Optus employees.

“Uber has fundamentally changed the way we think about getting from point A to point B, and for us this is an opportunity to create a truly connected experience for drivers and riders by using our superfast 4G Plus Network,” Steve Long, director of local markets at Optus, said in a media release.

Uber drivers get special offers and can enjoy discounted mobile and data plans from Optus. The exclusive AU$40 BYO plan will come with unlimited calls and texts, 300 minutes of international calls and 10GB of data.

While in transit, both the drivers and passengers of Uber will be able to access the fast networks of Optus.

In the initial roll out phase, Uber drivers can make use of an exclusive in-car trail of 4G WiFi for selected vehicles. The six weeks trail will rope in 100 vehicles in Sydney and Melbourne. This service aims to help people stay connected on the move, without exhausting their personal mobile data.

The in-car Wi-Fi service enable up to 10 passengers to access Optus’s 4G Plus Network.

“We’re thrilled to be partnering with Optus to open up the benefits of our platforms to more Australians,” said Brent Annells, head of Business ANZ at Uber.

Moreover, the partnership will help Optus to fully utilise the benefits ridesharing by enabling employees to access rides.

Earlier on Australia Day this year, the two companies have joined hands for the “Optus presents UberUMPRIRE” campaign.

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