An Actis-led consortium has acquired the macro tower portfolio of Telekom Srbija, a leading telecommunications operator in the CEE region, across Serbia, Bosnia & Herzegovina and Montenegro. The carved-out portfolio is comprised of approximately 1.8k macro towers (of which c. 1.0k in Serbia, c.0.7k in Bosnia & Herzegovina, c. 0.1k in Montenegro) and is well placed for further commercialisation and expansion. As part of the transaction, an independent tower company has been established, fully controlled by Actis, which has entered into a long-term master services agreement (MSA) with Telekom Srbija as the tower company’s anchor tenant and important partner for future growth; the MSA contemplates build-to-suit (BTS) commitments to further expand the platform’s reach and to accommodate new telecommunications technologies that will be rolled out in the region.

The Towers market in the CEE and Western Balkans region is forecast to expand significantly over the coming years, driven by the increasing consumer demand for mobile data, the rollout of new technologies such as 5G and 6G, as well as changing mobile capacity and coverage requirements. Independent tower companies have a significant role to play in efficiently investing in, improving, and mutualising passive infrastructure to support mobile growth and overall development of local economies.

Original source: Actis