France Telecom subsidiary, Equant has signed a $20 million contract with Australia's largest coal producer, BMA (BHP Billiton Mitsubishi Alliance Coal Operations), for managed communications infrastructure services.

Working with Nexium, the telecommunications wholesale arm of Queensland power company, Ergon Energy, Equant will connect BMA's 14 Bowen Basin sites located in remote areas of Queensland, as well as other key office locations across the state. Equant will provide Ethernet services and integrate BMA's network into BHP Billiton's global IP VPN (Internet Protocol Virtual Private Network), for which it is also global provider.

The contract includes transmission, management and monitoring of BMA's managed LAN VPN, enabling BMA to focus on achieving its core business objectives. Equant will also provide Global Internet Gateway Services – high performance, secure links between BMA's VPN and the Internet.

The deal provides a number of opportunities for BMA. Taking advantage of new technology and advanced telecommunications services will enable the company to become more competitive in the global coal market. It will also provide a reliable and secure link between its remote locations across Queensland and enable any-to-any connectivity for BMA and BHP Billiton employees.

Richard Knott, managing director, Equant Australasia, said that the deal represents a huge step forward for BMA and Queensland's communications services in general.

"Equant focuses on working with large, geographically dispersed customers, like BMA, to provide global coverage and secure end-to-end infrastructure requirements.

"This partnership with Ergon also means that businesses with remote offices in regional Queensland, like BMA, will have access to world class telecommunications services," Mr Knott said.

Nexium will use the high speed networks of Ergon Energy, Powerlink, Southern Cross Telecommunications, Uecomm and Queensland Rail in conjunction with Queensland Communications and Networking to provide wholesale telecommunications services to Equant for the deal.

Ergon Energy's Chief Executive Tony Bellas said, "Regional Queensland now has access to world-class, competitively priced high-speed telecommunications services that are taken for granted in the south east of the state."

Nexium Telecommunications General Manager Andrew Deme said Nexium had been able to form close working relationships Equant, Powerlink, Southern Cross Telecommunications Uecomm, QCN and QR and hoped to develop these relationships to further world-class telecommunications solutions in the regions.