The Romanian telecommunications company Digi Communications NV has entered into an agreement to sell part of the fiber-optic networks in Spain to Onivia, a division of the Australian Macquarie Group Ltd. This is reported in a Digi press release.
The consortium to acquire the Digi network in Spain includes Macquarie Capital, abrdn and Arjun Infrastructure Partners.
The deal is aimed at raising funds for the implementation of a strategic plan to expand Digi's presence in Spain. As part of the deal, Digi will sell the network in 12 Spanish provinces for 750 million euros ($814 million) and direct the proceeds to investments in Spain, the second largest market for the company after Romania.
The transaction is subject to regulatory approval.
Spain has the most extensive fiber-optic communications network in Europe and has attracted a large number of investments in recent years. Digi began deploying its own fiber optic networks in 2021, using Telefonica SA's infrastructure as part of a wholesale agreement that also provides the company with access to mobile communications. Digi plans to create its own mobile network based on the assets it is going to acquire as part of the settlement of the deal between Orange and Masmovil.
In 2023, Digi entered into a deal with abrdn to finance the deployment of a fiber-optic network in Andalusia and by October 2024 had completed more than half of the project..
Digi Communications NV is a telecommunications service provider in Romania and Spain, as well as in Italy, Portugal and Belgium. The company's services include cable television (TV), fixed Internet and data transmission, fixed and mobile telephony, mobile communications, mobile Internet and satellite TV services. The company also acts as a mobile virtual network operator. The headquarters is located in Bucharest (Romania).Currently, the Digi network has about 4.25 million homes and plans to gradually expand it, covering a total of 6 million homes over three years.
Macquarie Group Limited is an Australian financial services company headquartered and listed in Australia. The company provides financial services in Australia, North and South America, Europe, the Middle East, Africa and the Asia-Pacific region. The company has assets worth more than $871 billion under management. The company operates in four segments - Macquarie Asset Management, Banking & Financial Services, Commodities and Global Markets and Macquarie Capital. The headquarters is located in Sydney (Australia).
Macquarie established fiber optic broadband provider Onivia in 2019 as part of the acquisition of the Masmovil network. Onivia's shareholders also include abrdn, Daiwa Energy & Infrastructure Co. and Arjun Infrastructure Partners.
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