Altice Europe has confirmed recent reports that it's looking for investors to help accelerate its fibre roll-out. In a statement, the company said it started a strategic review of its fibre infrastructure "to further accelerate its deployment and is exploring financial partnerships".
No final decision has been taken yet on any strategic transaction, and it is uncertain whether such a deal will be reached, the company added.
The statement follows a report from Bloomberg that private equity firms are interested in investing in Altice's French unit SFR's FTTH business. Potential investors include KKR, Allianz’s private equity arm, Ontario Municipal Employees Retirement System and Macquarie Group.
French paper Le Figaro reported in August that Altice had hired Lazard to look for new ways to fund the FTTH deployment plans in France. The investment bank was asked to look for partners willing to invest in a new venture called SFR FTTH, which would be tasked to meet the operator’s deployment commitments. A deal could help Altice speed up the roll-out, without putting a further burden on its balance sheet.
