Phoenix Tower International (PTI) has completed a definitive agreement with Cellnex Telecom to acquire 1,226 telecommunications sites in ‘very dense’ (AKA urban) areas in France. The deal, subject to approval from the French Competition Authority (FCA), includes French operator SFR as a second major client. PTI is also in a joint venture with Bouygues Telecom which would see it acquire 2,000 sites in urban areas. Both deals are subject to legal precedents created by the FCA’s ruling on Cellnex’ acquisition of Hivory.
France needs Phoenix
These new acquisitions, along with its previously announced build programme with Bouygues Telecom, have given PTI 5,000 sites to own and operate in France, making it one of the largest independent wireless infrastructure providers in the country. “With these transactions and our recent closing of more towers in the French West Indies, PTI expands its presence in France, one of the most dynamic telecom markets in Europe,” said Dagan Kasavana, PTI’s CEO. “Its growth will continue to create the coverage needed by all French wireless operators across the country.”
Catalyst for coverage
Tim Culver, executive chairman of PTI, said these tower acquisitions strengthen the independent tower model in France which will be a “catalyst for improved coverage for all carriers”. PTI and its subsidiaries own and operate over 18,000 telecom towers throughout Europe, the United States, Latin America and the Caribbean. In Europe, PTI operates mainly in France, Italy, Ireland, Malta and Cyprus. PTI was founded in 2013 and its investors include funds managed by Blackstone and various members of its management team. It is headquartered in Boca Raton, Florida.
Cellnex has 130,000 sites
If its planned rollouts are included, Cellnex has a portfolio of at least 130,000 sites in Spain, Italy, the Netherlands, France, Switzerland, the UK, Ireland, Portugal, Austria, Denmark, Sweden and Poland. Cellnex’s business is structured in four major areas: telecommunication infrastructures services; audiovisual broadcasting networks; security and emergency service networks and systems for smart urban infrastructure and services management.