TPG to Build Australia's 4th Mobile Network

LMickel07 on 13/04/2017 - 10:22
Last edited 13/04/2017 - 22:21

TPG have secured spectrum in the 700 mega hertz band for $1.26 billion, and will spend a further $600 million on building a mobile network that covers 80 per cent of the population. Roll out of the network is expected to take about three years to complete.

Is this a good thing? Would you consider using the TPG mobile network? Can Australia even sustain 4 mobile networks?

[EDIT]
More info for those who want to read (thanks Tas):

http://www.zdnet.com/article/tpg-to-build-au1-6b-australian-…

http://www.zdnet.com/article/vodafone-australia-wins-700mhz-…

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Comments

  • OhMaJuck on 13/04/2017 - 10:26
    +4

    Good for consumer's to bring the price down and down

  • scrambledeggs on 13/04/2017 - 10:28
    +1

    Will probably kill off Voda or Optus.

    I would love if it competed with Telstra.

  • Diji1 on 13/04/2017 - 10:41
    +4

    Can Australia even sustain 4 mobile networks?

    You seem to be grossly misinformed about the profits that telcos takes in this country.

  • triviums on 13/04/2017 - 10:51
    -2

    Can Australia even sustain 4 mobile networks?

    It should be able to since Australia used to have 4 mobile networks. The 4th was owned by three before three's parent company merged with Vodafone.

    • RockyRaccoon on 13/04/2017 - 10:57
      +1

      That could also mean it wasnt profitable. Ie thats why they merged.

      Also keep in mind they are covering 80% of the population, not 80% of the country

    • ronnknee on 13/04/2017 - 13:53

      If Australia could sustain 4 mobile networks then why did 3 and Vodafone merge?

      • Mrbean007 on 13/04/2017 - 20:01

        Lol i was with 3 after my contract finished was paying 0c and making as many free calls to 3 unlimited to all my friends they where on same plan hot for 3 until all my friends shifted over to voda :(
        And when i went interstate phone will pick up anywhere as it was using Telstra network when there was no 3 coverage :)

  • noyesmaybeok on 13/04/2017 - 11:03
    +5

    Covers 80% of the population… which is fine for every day city living, when you go on holiday you've got nothing!

    Even Telstra/Optus with supreme coverage can struggle on the highways.

    • slow on 13/04/2017 - 11:16

      Just had that experience on holiday in a country area. My Optus - fine. Wife's Vodafone (Kogan) - not a peep

      • noyesmaybeok on 13/04/2017 - 11:19

        Yeah, they really need a fallback provider, though I doubt any provider would be willing to help out there.

        Unless you literally never go anywhere except capital cities it's not really that viable. 30 mins out of town and you'll have nothing, hopefully the car doesn't break down! (for everyday people, some would have 2 phones and activate a Telstra SIM for when going away; average Joe isn't going to do this though)

        Optus apparently covers 98.5% and I frequently have 1 bar of reception - I assume towers are spaced out a bit too far so in the middle sucks - and occasionally none even when not far from town. 98.5% and there's still a few times a month I'll notice poor reception… can't imagine 80%.

        More competition is always good though.

    • [Deactivated] on 13/04/2017 - 11:30
      +1

      I've never had Telstra struggle on the highways. (I don't get reception at work ironically).

  • pernunz on 13/04/2017 - 11:25
    +1

    Regardless on whether they are a good option for each person individually, more competition will help drive prices down.

  • [Deactivated] on 13/04/2017 - 11:30

    I would only go over to TPG if their rollout is going to be 100% LTE. Otherwise I think the congestion would be noticeable at times.

    With this in mind, if they are going to be an LTE only provider, they better let open source developers help them with VoLTE deployment.

    The current Trigopoly has led to substandard rollout of VoLTE.

    For gods sake the Xiaomi phones' VoLTE support doesn't work here in Australia, but seems to work successfully in India, Singapore, Hong Kong and Malaysia.

    Otherwise I suspect some hybrid 5G rollout.

    • stirlo on 13/04/2017 - 12:52

      I'd say we can be pretty sure they'll have the most advanced technology when they launch. They are already quoted saying they don't have any legacy baggage holding them back. LTE has been around for a long time so they'd be using that at a minimum.

  • Findo on 13/04/2017 - 11:53
    +2

    Maybe their aim is not so much mobile services, but mobile data

    • eug on 13/04/2017 - 15:04
      +2

      For lots of people nowadays, mobile data is the only mobile service that matters. :)

  • Skramit on 13/04/2017 - 13:31

    TPG already have the backbone network in place. And margins are high on mobile products. I wouldn;t be surprised if they can make it work and be a disruptor to the Telstra market share.

  • John Kimble on 13/04/2017 - 16:35
    +1

    http://www.smh.com.au/business/telstra-continues-to-drop-as-…

    TPG's chief executive David Teoh said he will offer six months of free mobile services to people in Canberra next year – the first rollout city – to get feedback on the network quality.

  • [Deactivated] on 13/04/2017 - 19:49

    Optus and telstra are like coles and woolies.
    These third rate service providers are like iga, not much competition to worry about but they will take a small chunk from the big 2….

    Voda might be a bit worried but yeah it might be like their internet service…. great at the begining but get worse as time goes by

  • [Deactivated] on 13/04/2017 - 20:33

    May be worth adding these links to the main post, OP -
    www.zdnet.com/article/tpg-to-build-au1-6b-australian-mobile-…
    www.zdnet.com/article/vodafone-australia-wins-700mhz-mobile-…

    Vodafone bid and won two of the remaining blocks of 700MHz spectrum at the same auction.

    • Gunther on 13/04/2017 - 22:12

      Vodafone and TPG already partner, I can see more ongoing relationships there. Perhaps free roaming between networks etc

    • Mickel07 on 13/04/2017 - 22:21

      Thanks, added

  • rigby75 on 14/04/2017 - 07:46

    They may looking into bypassing the nbn. High speed wireless to the home?

    • [Deactivated] on 17/04/2017 - 18:40
      +1

      They already did circumvent the nbn with Wondercom.

  • TransportPosters on 14/04/2017 - 08:32
    +1

    I got the impression TPG was moving out of providing mobile services, since they offloaded me to Vodafone. Guess they had a change of mind.

  • AM1 on 14/04/2017 - 09:23
    +1

    100GB, 200GB and 500GB 4G/4.5G/5G mobile broadband plans for home and small office broadband and failover?… yes please! :)

  • Jalif on 14/04/2017 - 13:26
    +1

    Considering Vodafone covers 94% of the population and people consider that terrible coverage, 80% seems horrible.

    Capital cities only?

    • kipps on 14/04/2017 - 17:15

      "In 2014, 15.6 million people (two thirds of the population) resided in greater capital cities and 7.9 million (one third) resided in the rest of Australia." - From ABS

      That's only 65% in greater capital cities. Must be some other major cities too.

  • [Deactivated] on 17/04/2017 - 18:39
    +2

    I have been with TPG for nearly 4 years, and they just keep giving, first it was unlimited data, calls and international, then it was FTTB, and now competitive mobile coverage, at what I assume will be th best rates in town.Yay!

  • BargainKen on 29/04/2017 - 21:28

    wonder who'll buy it when it crumbles - or would TPG absorb Vodafone by then ?

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