today on smh. Sounded positive. Maybe I'll apply for a job at TLS and mentioned I'm a shareholder.

https://www.smh.com.au/business/companies/telstra-in-good-position-on-5g-says-penn-20190130-p50uia.html

Telstra in 'good position' on 5G, says Penn

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By Emma Koehn

30 January 2019 — 3:56pm

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Telstra chief executive Andy Penn says the telco is in "a good position" when it comes to the rollout of the superfast 5G technology but admits there is strong competition from rivals as they grapple with the government's ban on Chinese suppliers such as Huawei.

A day after TPG announced it was putting the brakes on its mobile network rollout because of a government ban on the use of Huawei technology, Mr Penn said Telstra's long-term approach to 5G had put the company in a good position but there was fierce competition in the area.

Telstra CEO Andy Penn says exclusive 5G phones are coming in the next six months. CREDIT:RYAN STUART

"Our competitors in Australia are absolutely investing in 5G at a local level," he said.

"We've been on this journey for a long time and we’re in a good position. Our advantage comes from many, many years of investment."

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On Tuesday TPG chief David Teoh said the government's Huawei ban could force telcos to retro-fit their systems in order to move to a 5G system, something that could cost telcos billions of dollars.

Telstra does not have any Huawei kit in its mobile networks and uses Swedish firm Ericsson.

Optus and Vodafone use Huawei equipment within their 4G networks and the ban has left some providers confused about how this existing infrastructure will be able to work alongside 5G kit.

The government banned suppliers like Huawei in August from participating in 5G on security grounds as the new networks are expected to increasingly connect critical infrastructure.

Speaking at a Committee for Economic Development of Australia lunch in Melbourne on Wednesday, the telco chief outlined other challenges for Telstra as it reinvents itself for a world dominated by automation and fast-moving technology.

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Mr Penn said it was "hardly surprising" that Telstra had to shed 8,000 roles because of structural changes including the introduction of the National Broadband Network, which meant the telco was no longer the main wholesaler of broadband products.

At the same time, the telco says it has been facing a fiercely competitive market for staff with the skills needed to develop competitive projects into the future.

"The fact is we cannot find in Australia enough of the skills, like software engineers, that we need on the scale that we need them," Mr Penn said.

The telco will be launching an innovation centre in Bangalore, India this year to "quickly hire, develop and scale that talent across our business".

Mr Penn told The Age and The Sydney Morning Herald that Telstra is fighting it out with other Australian businesses of all sizes across all sectors to find good software engineering talent.

"It's every sector... all of the major corporates in Australia are needing this," he said.

In his keynote address, he warned of the "unhealthy and potentially dangerous" path the world was taking when it comes to aggressive debates on immigration.

"An ongoing skilled migration policy is essential for Australia and essential for Telstra to attract and recruit the right talent and capabilities," he said.