The first of dozens of dome-shaped antennas for a controversial satellite earth station in Auckland have been installed on an inner-city rooftop.
2degrees has been contracted by an undisclosed US satellite broadband company to build the ground station on the roof of a building at 43 College Hill, Freemans Bay, the telecommunications provider told the Herald.
The facility will eventually house 30 of the mushroom-like structures, each about 2m tall, and be used to relay swathes of data to and from satellites.
A 2degrees spokesperson said the telco’s unnamed US client would “operate and maintain the ground station” once construction was complete.
2degrees announced a partnership with AST SpaceMobile, a US company building the first space-based cellular broadband network, in March 2025, with plans to launch a satellite-to-mobile service that they hoped to begin testing from the middle of this year.
The Kiwi firm was granted non‑notified consent from Auckland Council to build the rooftop station on June 24 last year, but the project courted criticism from nearby residents and community groups after construction began in January.
Opponents told the Herald in February they were concerned about the scale and appearance of the installation, potential side effects from the radiofrequency technology and, more broadly, the council’s decision to approve the project without public notification.
The council’s head of resource consents James Hassall said its staff had since met with two of the concerned residents but were unable to address their concerns, given the project was approved in line with regulatory standards.
“Once a consent is granted, the only avenue for challenge is through an application for judicial review in the High Court,” Hassall said.
“The council will monitor the site to ensure that the consent holder meets the conditions of the consent.”
Hellbound and Down 