Spanish infrastructure operator Cellnex Telecom has announced an agreement to acquire 230 mobile telecommunications towers in France from Bouygues Telecom for EUR 80 million. The deal includes a second phase that, if executed, could bring the total number of towers acquired to 500, said Cellnex, adding that it has also signed a 20-year contract to provide services to Bouygues.
The Spanish operator said the towers are expected to contribute revenues of around EUR 6.9 million on a full-year basis. Bouygues Telecom said the sale will allow it to concentrate on developing its fixed and mobile activities. The French operator has previously outsourced network infrastructure to the French group Antin and also has a network-sharing agreement with SFR to help reduce its costs.
Cellnex’s decision to enter the French market comes shortly after it acquired 261 towers in the Netherlands managed by Protelindo Netherlands and extended its presence in Italy with the acquisition of small cell technology provider CommsCon. The Spanish company reported revenues of EUR 165 million in the first three months of 2016, up 41 percent on the year-earlier result, and now has a total portfolio above 16,100 sites.
