TPG small cell towers will not rollout

Last year on October 15, 2018 a consultation was held between the community and TPG to discuss concerns around the company’s small cell tower rollout in the community.

TPG initially planned on installing a small cell tower at Dundas Street, Coogee. However at the community consultation, a proposed, less densely populated, alternative site of Blenheim Park was suggestion. TPG agreed to move the infrastructure.

In a Council meeting on Tuesday 16 October, Council resolved that the proposed roll out came at a time when international research reported a link between cell tower radiation and the development of cancer. Accordingly, Council called on the federal Government to intervene and suspended the roll out, pending a review of the relevance of the international findings to the safety of residents in urban Australia.

However, on 29 January 2019, TPG made a company announcement that it would cease the rollout of its mobile network altogether. Because of this, TPG no longer intends to proceed with any small cell tower installations or community consultations at Blenheim Park or other locations.

Update from TPG
As a response from TPG, the following email was sent to Council and concerned residents in the area:

Dear Coogee residents,

You may be aware that on 29 January 2019, TPG made a company announcement that it would cease the rollout of its mobile network. Accordingly, I am writing to advise you  that TPG does not intend to proceed to consultation, as proposed, with a proposed alternative small cell facility in Blenheim Park, Coogee. 

Prior to the company announcement, TPG had communicated a decision to propose this alternative site recommended by the community at our  public meeting in October regarding the original proposal at Dundas St, Coogee. In keeping with the 29 January 2019 company announcement, TPG now intends to proceed with neither location as proposed. 

TPG has regretted the anxiety that some people have felt about our small cells, and we have endeavoured to give residents good, reliable information from public health authorities about the safety and regulation of radio facilities, including small cells. We will continue to liaise with residents as required to give them greater peace of mind and ease their concerns.

We highlight that it has been a first mover in Australia for large-scale, small cell deployment, and small cells are now being deployed in significant numbers by all mobile carriers. Like macros base stations, small cells will become a common feature of mobile network design - it is the future of mobile network design. 

ACMA has now released a Guide to Small Cells to provide the community with a greater understanding of what small cells are, how they work, and how they are regulated to protect public safety:  https://www.acma.gov.au/Home/theACMA/a-guide-to-small-cells