Saddle Hill Community Board chairman Keith McFadyen said the company's corporate affairs director Matthew Bollard and national site adviser manager Jason Britten met him, protester Daryl Hanna and Dunedin South MP Clare Curran in a Green Island cafe yesterday.
The 2degrees staff discussed the difficulties with transmitting a frequency across Brighton, and he and Mr Hanna discussed the community's concerns about installing a tower on an ''iconic site'' in Scroggs Hill Rd.
After the meeting, the 2degrees staff visited the site in Scroggs Hill Rd and Mr Bollard talked to protesters.
''They've had an opportunity to see the depth of passion in the community,'' Mr McFadyen said.
The ''positive'' visit had made protesters ''optimistic'', he said.
''If they were steadfastly not going to change their mind, then they wouldn't have come. The tower has to be built somewhere but we can potentially shift the problem.''
Mr Bollard said he had come to Dunedin to meet people to hear what they wanted and to look around ''to understand how the land lies''.
''We've got some more people to talk to and, at this point, we haven't got a lot more to say.''
Ms Curran said she could see both sides.
''I'm very supportive of there being cellphone coverage across the country but there are times when the siting of the tower can be really contentious and a community-negotiated solution is always better than one imposed on the community.''
Mr Hanna said the 2degrees representatives had agreed to put the tower installation on hold until further discussions within 2degrees and with Brighton residents.
''It's not a no, it is not going to happen; it's not a yes, it is going to happen. It's just, let's push the hold button and rethink it.''
But there was was no reason to celebrate until 2degrees put its decision to reconsider in writing.
The protesters were focusing on the Dunedin City Council changing the Scroggs Hill Rd site from a roading reserve to a scenic reserve.
''That's our ultimate plan - to make it a nice lookout area, so no telecommunications company can come in.''
Protesters would remain on site.
''I don't think people are going to let their guard down,'' he said.
Protester Neil Bush (57) said although Mr Bollard assured him yesterday a digger would not arrive on Monday, he would continue protesting.
''I could retire here,'' Mr Bush said.
