Discover insights from CommsDay Summit 2024 and explore the impact of TIND policy on equitable digital connectivity.
The Telecommunication In New Developments (TIND) policy is a much needed step in the right direction, ensuring that new housing developments cater for the necessary wireless infrastructure from the outset.
This year’s CommsDay Summit 2024 offered 500+ attendees with a full two-day program of speakers from the nation’s top telcos and industry participants. Indara was proud to be one of the keynote speakers alongside other leading voices such as the Minister for Communications Michelle Rowland.
Together, the industry is championing better, more equitable access to wireless connectivity by addressing a myriad of topical issues including accelerating 5G adoption while also improving network coverage, capacity and resilience. Further, the important role of MNIPs’ having seat at the table from the outset of new development proposals was recognised.
In his CommsDay Summit speech, Indara’s Customer & Property Executive Director Jason Horley argued that before the arrival of the new revised TIND policy, wireless infrastructure was often an afterthought that resulted in poor coverage for some communities.
“In building and upgrading existing and new communities, we routinely see a lot of planning to go into other essential infrastructure, including roads, water, power, and fixed line broadband but our councils, state governments, developers, have historically not been overly proactive in the early planning stages when provisioning wireless connectivity,” he told the CommsDay Summit 2024.
“And often wireless arrives late for communities… so many of the efforts [wireless infrastructure rollouts] that we’ve talked about don’t accrue equally across our society…
More recently, we have seen some positive changes in regulation announced by the minister, the TIND announcement, which puts the responsibility on developers to ensure that as new houses and infrastructure are built, there is a greater level of consideration for wireless telecommunications.”
Indara’s investment in digital infrastructure, including towers, multifunction poles, and small cells, is a testament to our dedication to meeting the evolving demands of our increasingly digital society. These efforts are pivotal in eliminating coverage blackspots and enhancing network resilience, particularly in underserved rural and peri-urban areas.
The TIND policy is a step in the right direction, ensuring that new developments are equipped with the necessary wireless infrastructure from the outset. When this comes into force, it has the potential to change lives significantly.
To deliver the best outcomes for our communities, Indara, the wider industry, and the government all have a powerful role to plan for and build assets that deliver improved wireless coverage, capacity, and network resilience. It’s this essential collaboration that is – and will continue to be – crucial to shape a future where digital connectivity is accessible to all Australians.
