.au Domain Administration Ltd (auDA) is the policy authority and industry self-regulatory body for the .au domain space, formed in 1999 as the culmination of efforts since 1995. In December 2000, the Australian Government formally endorsed auDA as the appropriate body to administer the .au domain space, and in October 2001, ICANN recognised auDA as the suitable operator for .au under a Sponsorship Agreement. auDA develops and implements domain name policy, licenses 2LD registry operators, accredits and licenses registrars, implements consumer safeguards, facilitates .au Dispute Resolution Policy, and represents .au at ICANN and other international fora.

Optus is an Australian leader in integrated communications - serving more than six million customers each day. The company provides a broad range of communications services including mobile, national and long distance services, local telephony, international telephony, business network services, internet and satellite services and subscription television. In 2001, SingTel became the parent company of Optus, paving the way for Optus to become a strong and strategic telecommunications player within the Asia-Pacific region.