Macquarie-led consortium to acquire Digi Spain FTTH network

Source: Digi

A consortium of Macquarie Capital, abrdn and Arjun Infrastructure Partners is to acquire Digi Spain’s FTTH networks, with Digi to remain as an anchor client.

The network will be operated by Onivia, Spain’s largest independent wholesale fibre platform, which will increase its coverage to around 10 million Spanish homes as a result.

The network acquired currently comprises approximately 4,250,000 homes passed with the rest of the network, covering up to 1,750,000 homes passed, to be deployed over an estimated period of three years.  This would see the network reach a total of six million homes passed, covering 12 provinces across the regions of Madrid, Segovia, Avila, Castilla-La Mancha, Comunidad Valenciana and Murcia.

The deal also gives the consortium with the option to acquire any future fibre rollouts from Digi in those provinces, subject to certain conditions.

Digi is Spain’s fourth largest internet service provider. The company will continue to use the FTTH network to serve its own customers and remain as anchor client, with the network made available to all other Onivia customers.

Jose Antonio Vázquez Blanco, CEO of Onivia, said: “With this acquisition, Onivia confirms its position as largest neutral and independent player, enhancing the value-added proposal for our telco customers, increasing coverage, and offering latest XGS-PON technology. It is also a fantastic step towards our national end-to-end telco proposal for other market segments such as utilities and alarms.”

Oliver Bradley, senior managing director at Macquarie Capital said: “We established Onivia in 2019 as Spain’s first independent wholesale fibre network operator. Alongside our long-term co-investors, Macquarie Capital are committed to supporting the continued growth and expansion of this truly national Spanish network, delivering reliable ultrafast broadband to both rural and urban areas and for ISPs large and small.”

Marius Varzaru, CEO of Digi, said: “We are delighted to develop our expansion in Spain hand in hand with the Consortium formed by Macquarie Capital, abrdn and Arjun Infrastructure Partners, world leaders in infrastructure investment.”