PRINCIPAL AWARDS SPONSOR

Indara is Australia’s leading digital infrastructure company. We own, build, operate and manage the digital infrastructure that keep Australia connected. 

We have a growing portfolio of more than 4,300 mobile towers and rooftop sites strategically located across Australia with a focus on high-value metropolitan, regional, and rural areas. We are also building for tomorrow, expanding beyond our core tower infrastructure capabilities with a range of solutions to support emerging technologies and power smart cities. 

Our vision is to accelerate a sustainable digital future for all Australians, capitalising on transformative new technologies that have the power to create smarter, more connected communities. With our customer-focused and innovative mindset, we draw on our engineering and asset management expertise and proven capabilities to offer our customers an expanding range of solutions and services to support their ambitions. 

We’re Indara – we’re empowering Australia’s digital future.

Sponsor Spotlight

Planning for Connectivity

Indara is honoured to be involved in the Planning Institute Australia’s 2024 National Congress. As one of Australia’s leading digital infrastructure providers, our relationship with the nation’s leaders in planning is not just highly valued, but essential to Australia’s growth and success. 

Bridging our digital divide is of the utmost importance. Through collaboration, understanding, and innovation, we are optimistic about enabling a more digitised future. 

The strong relationship between Indara, the planning sector, and government bodies is not just beneficial. Through policies like the Telecommunications in New Developments (TIND), we can keep pushing forwards for better digital connectivity across all facets of society. 

Indara believes access to internet and connectivity should be considered a public utility like electricity and water. In new developments, electricity and water infrastructure are built before people move to a place and mobile connectivity infrastructure should be given the same importance. 

Currently, mobile connectivity is built after population growth occurs and as a result can lead to connectivity blackspots, impacting the quality of life for these communities. 

With data consumption in Australia growing by more than 40% per year, and increased population growth in places like southeast Queensland and Western Sydney, the need for more infrastructure delivering on coverage and connectivity has significantly increased. 

Indara believes that the new Telecommunications in New Developments (TIND) Policy is a move in the right direction, and will help support the delivery of mobile infrastructure alongside other essential utilities. 

Indara’s neutral host infrastructure model is perfectly suited to delivering the requirements of the TIND Policy through identifying the optimum locations for infrastructure, and supporting all three national carriers to deliver services using the same asset, which improves mobile coverage for all members of the community. 

We have crafted a digital ecosystem that is inclusive, resilient, and forward-thinking. Our approach is holistic, considering not just the placement of towers, but the sustainability, impacts, and integration of this infrastructure within communities and their environments. 

Our projects are set to innovate how Australians live, work, and connect. This technology aims to unlock opportunities in digital infrastructure development, telehealth services, and remote education—bringing us closer to bridging the urban-rural digital divide. It’s not just about providing a service; it’s about enhancing the quality of life for every Australian. 

Guided by a philosophy of collaborative engagement, we actively seek the insights and expertise of town planners, community leaders, and the public. This cross-sector partnership ensures that our digital infrastructure developments are aligned with community needs, aspirations, and the natural environment. Through transparent dialogue and shared vision, we strive to create a legacy of sustainable development and digital inclusion. 

Indara also recognises that as communities grow, there is a need to deliver additional, localised connectivity – in many places this is via small cells, which are not dealt with under the normal town planning regulations. Delivery of small cells and other localised connectivity is often achieved by attaching equipment to existing infrastructure, such as streetlight poles. Indara is investing in the deployment of small cells and other connectivity solutions to deliver connectivity outcomes that enhance quality of life for communities. 

Indara also recognises the need for mobile connectivity solutions that cater for short-term periods of very high demand, for example major sporting events. Our Infrastructure as a Service model enables the delivery of cost-effective combinations of indoor and outdoor coverage solutions. 

For example, Indara has proposed a shared investment model in neutral host mobile infrastructure for the 2032 Olympics. 

Under our model, Indara will design, co-fund and deliver the underlying infrastructure (power, fibre, poles, and towers) alongside the civil and construction works to support all three national carriers to deploy their equipment. 

During the Games, dedicated network capacity and coverage will be required to support Games organisers, volunteers, police, and emergency services to operate efficiently and effectively. 

The visitor experience for the Games will be heavily dependent on mobile technology, supporting video-communications, wayfinding, ticketing, transport, and virtual reality services. 

Indara’s neutral host model will ensure all three national carriers can deliver world-class coverage throughout Olympics venues, precincts, and places. 

The benefits of our model will also be felt long after the Games and will create an economic and community legacy for decades, as has been the case with the investment in telecommunications for the 2018 Commonwealth Games on the Gold Coast. 

Our proposed approach will reduce the overall cost of delivering connectivity infrastructure, and will inject significant private investment into SEQ. It will also contribute to the Games’ sustainability goals through the reduction of civil works, removing the need to deliver retrospective works in newly developed precincts and venues. 

In preparation for the Planning Institute Australia’s 2024 National Congress, we are excited to share our progress, learn from our collective experiences, and forge stronger connections with industry leaders. 

Together, we can achieve a digitally connected Australia that thrives on innovation, inclusivity, and sustainability. Your support and collaboration are invaluable as we embark on this next chapter of Australia’s digital transformation.