Aaron Mobbs, Ventia Area Manager for Fixed Networks Queensland and New South Wales is a third-generation telecommunications professional.
His grandfather, Kenneth Mobbs Sr, worked for the Postmaster General's Department - Australia's first integrated national communications service and the origin of Telstra - from 1955 to 1977 in the remote country town of Wilcannia, NSW.  
In 1975, Aaron's father Ken, would follow in his grandfather's footsteps and join Telecom in Broken Hill as an 18-year-old labourer on the Adelaide to Brisbane COAX Cable installation, operating machinery and becoming an explosives expert. His tenure would last more than 35 years doing major conduit construction, cable jointing, fibre splicing and estimating.
Like his father and grandfather before him, Aaron also chose to go into telecommunications. In 2003, he moved from Ballina, a small coastal country town 740km north of Sydney, to start a new job with Siemens Thiess Communication in the city.
"I was working in pubs, clubs and even did a Cert 3 in businesses management while running a retail business in town", recalls Aaron. "But by 2003 I felt I was going nowhere. So I asked my dad for help. He got me an interview in Sydney and said the rest was up to me".
It was only his second time on a plane and to a major city. He got the job and started his Ventia career as a telecommunications labourer in the Civil / Hauling team on a date he will never forget: 03-03-03. Within 18 months he had moved into a Civil / Hauling Team Leader role.
Aaron inspects the dual fibre installation works as part of the underwater cable crossing between Woy Woy and Saratoga.
Everything in telco
"I've attempted most things in the telco space", laughs Aaron. "Some of the most memorable projects have been laying fibre to Mount Kosciusko in the middle of winter, working on NBN Co's first mainland fibre site in Armidale NSW for 12 months, multiple underwater submarine cable installations across the country and black spot projects to install optic fibre cable to the top of some of biggest mountain ranges and some most remote towns and communities across the country".
Aaron has taken on many different telco roles: from Civil / Hauling Team Leader to Optic Fibre Splicer, FOXTEL installer, copper jointer, scoper, estimator and team scheduler, supervisor and field manager.
Over the years he has been involved in many different large-scale national projects including NBN transit, NBN Brownfield's Telstra Wideband, Data IP, Optic Fibre - IEN, (LCR & Growth) ARCW, Optus, Uecomm, Pipe Networks, Gold Coast Council Digital City Program and Telstra Wamarra contracts.
A lot has changed in my time with the company. I've learned from great mentors
"I would like to think I've been able to pass this knowledge along to others", says Aaron
Aaron briefs the Fixed Network Optic Fibre project team before kicking off the 2km underwater cable crossing in NSW's Central Coast.
An expert who loves to learn
In 2015, Aaron accepted a position as field manager in Queensland and moved his family to the Gold Coast after 12 years in Sydney. The new role took Aaron on different projects around the countryside from Cairns to Tasmania, across to Adelaide and up to central Australia.
Aaron was promoted in 2022 to Area Manager, Fixed Networks - Telecommunications for Queensland and New South Wales and in March 2023, he celebrated his 20-year anniversary with Ventia.
Today he's responsible for over $160 million in telecommunications projects, overseeing 32 staff along with a major subcontractor base.
"Starting from the lowest entry-level role in the industry and furthering my career and knowledge has given me a lot of job satisfaction.", says Aaron
I still love the work we do and the people I work with.
These days Aaron spends much of his time on safety and leadership, supporting his team and making sure everyone understands the importance of quality and health.
Recently, Aaron's 20-year-old son started showing some interest in the telco business.
"He's taken on a few jobs such as an apprentice fitter & turner / boilermaker, trade assistant and had previously done a 9-month contract in the telco industry in Cairns FNQ. So, who knows? Maybe we'll have four generations of Mobbs in telco."
Top image: Aaron and his team with the newly commissioned Ventia D9 dual plough dozer.