TBH - some partners seem like a good idea, others I just scratch my head at (although I'm pretty confident QFF don't give a damn who buys their points, within reason!)
The Optus one has me scratching ... I doubt anyone would choose their phone provider based on the ability to earn (any carrier) FF points. Price, handset, contract length, features, network reach, would all come into play long before FF point-earn capability.
Others, car hire for example, where there are very similar products come more into the equation, price starts to become the major differentiator then, followed by point earn.
IMHO Woollies is so successful because the differentiators are so small (product and price), there is no contractual obligation and you can switch to and from the product on a daily basis.
Credit cards are all pretty similar product-wise (especially if you pay the balance monthly) - price again becomes the major differentiator, plus acceptablilty of the card eg AMEX versus MC/Visa.
Back to Optus: I'd suggest the only ones "speculating" would be those individuals already with Optus who are looking to get points for no additional outlay, so the sooner for them, the better.
BD