Optus has today inked a $100 million eight-year deal to continue the provision of satellite services to the ABC.

Under the agreement Optus will manage the distribution of the ABC’s digital television transmission, interchange signals between capital city and regional studios, and broadcast of analogue TV and radio.

Optus Wholesale and Satellite managing director Vicki Brady said in a written statement the telco has worked with the ABC since 1985.

“The group continues to provide quality service and cost efficiencies that will meet the present needs of the ABC well into 2017... the Optus C1 satellite, the first two of the D-series satellites [are] now in operation and the Optus D3 satellite [is] set to launch later this year,” Brady said.

The Optus D3 satellite will provide an extra 30 per cent capacity to the fleet and will be launched from French Guiana.

Optus Satellite director Paul Sheridan said satellite is an effective technology for broadcast into regional Australia.