Microsoft and Telstra announce AI partnership to upgrade Australia's telecommunication industry

The world of tech and telecommunications has a new partnership: Telstra and Microsoft are coming together strategically to change Australia’s AI infrastructure and connectivity scene, seeing Telstra acting as an initial partner for Microsoft’s big plan for expanding AI infrastructure throughout Australia.

This means utilizing Telstra’s latest and high-speed Intercity Fibre Network. Picture this: approximately 1,800 kilometers of fiber spread throughout the country. This is primed to function as Microsoft’s cloud service foundation in Australia, encompassing its AI services.

In the official announcement, Microsoft says Telstra is not just putting down the cables and finishing them. They’re going big by getting 21,000 Copilot for Microsoft 365 licenses for their workers. It is the most significant usage of generative AI service in Australia, and people worldwide are talking about it with communication providers.

Vicki Brady, the CEO of Telstra, says:

As we move into this new era of AI, connectivity has never been more fundamental. There’s so much to be excited about when it comes to AI – including generative AI tools like Copilot – but none of it works without the foundational layer of secure, reliable connectivity.

This joining of forces has the goal of getting Australia ready for AI time. The need for AI to create and handle significant quantities of data requires a quick, dependable, safe connectivity system that can expand. The Intercity Fibre Network of Telstra will supply this crucial connection, expanding Microsoft’s AI infrastructure to deliver the revolutionary advantages of AI throughout businesses, sectors, and the entire country.

It’s not the first time Microsoft has brought its AI tech to the Down Under continent. Earlier this year, the Redmond-based tech giant made some significant advances with the implementation of AI in academic education, thanks to its partnership with Torrens University, where it helped save 20,000 hours and $2.4 million worth of resources.