Telstra Expands Partnership with Microsoft, Invests in 21,000 Copilot AI Licenses

Australian telco Telstra and Microsoft today announced an expansion of their strategic partnership. Telstra is purchasing 21,000 Copilot for Microsoft 365 licenses for its employees, and Microsoft has now signed contracts for the first routes on Telstra’s Intercity Fibre Network project, which is currently under construction. By combining Microsoft’s AI technology with Telstra’s Intercity Fibre Network project, the two companies aim to accelerate digital transformation and develop Australia’s AI ecosystem, the joint statement said on Monday.

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Also Read: Telstra Announces Five New Intercity Fibre Routes and Pilbara Expansion

Major AI Deployment in Australia

Telstra’s deployment of Copilot is the largest implementation of the generative AI service in Australia and one of the largest among telecommunications companies globally, Microsoft said.

Intercity Fibre Network Expansion

Microsoft announced that it has selected Telstra as a strategic partner to extend its AI infrastructure in Australia to meet the growing demand for AI. Microsoft had previously been named an anchor tenant of Telstra’s Intercity Fibre Network when the upgrade was first announced.

Commenting on the expansion of the partnership, Telstra said: “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.”

Also Read: Telstra Achieves 340 Mbps Uplink Speed Over 5G SA; Deploys Dynamic Network Slicing Solution

Enhancing Australia’s AI Ecosystem