TPG ramps up mobile site acquisition

TPG is laying the groundwork for its $2 billion mobile network as it puts together a team across three states to acquire suitable sites on which to host its antennas.

The telco will bring onboard “a number” of SAED - site acquisition, environment and design - managers.

It did not specify exactly how many it planned to employ but has initially advertised for three roles in NSW, Victoria and Queensland.

The new managers will be put in charge of managing “all processes relating to lease and license negotiations and master agreements, commercial terms, environmental approval, site design and constructability".

TPG claimed back in April to already have "thousands of potential sites for deployment of mobile antennas”, which were backhauled by TPG fibre.

These were likely rooftops on metropolitan buildings for which TPG had said it was already negotiating access to.

The company needs between 2000 and 2500 sites in total to deploy its mobile network, which it claims will reach 80 percent of Australia’s population when complete. Construction of the network is expected to begin next year.

Recent research by UBS’ evidence lab in Australia found that about one quarter of Optus and Vodafone customers would be tempted to switch to a "theoretical $25 / unlimited (with caveats)" mobile product offered by TPG. 

UBS also raised concerns over the "price/ARPU [average revenue per user] impacts that TPG might have" once in-market, which could cut into the margins of incumbent mobile network operators.