Australian operator TPG Telecom struck a deal to increase its mid-band spectrum holdings covering some of the largest cities in the country, buying various assets won in a 2018 auction by neutral host company Dense Air.

In a statement, TPG Telecom said the agreement comprised licences in the 3.6GHz band covering Adelaide, Brisbane, Canberra, Melbourne, Perth and Sydney.

TPG Telecom CEO Inaki Berroeta said: “For our mobile and home wireless customers, this additional mid-band 5G spectrum will mean a significant boost in speeds through increased capacity”, noting “as this spectrum is immediately adjacent to our existing 5G spectrum holdings, it can be deployed quickly and without significant cost”.

The pair also announced a separate transaction, where TPG Telecom would sell licences in the 2.6GHz band to Dense Air Australia, complementing assets bought by the neutral host company at the country’s mmWave auction earlier this year.

TPG Telecom noted the “3.6GHz spectrum is a much better complement” to its existing spectrum portfolio than assets in the 2.6GHz band, while the latter “better enables Dense Air’s neutral host model.”

Financial terms for the transactions were not disclosed. Both are subject to regulatory approval.