CELLNEX takes majority stake in ILIAD 7

Sogetrel's management regained majority control of the group by buying out Latour Capital and its partners. The transaction was structured as a sponsorless MBO, backed by mezzanine financing from ActoMezz. The valuation increase since since its last valuation from 2018 reflects the group's explosive growth in the fiber optic market. This structure allows management to execute a long-term diversification strategy into Smart Cities and 5G infrastructure without the constraints of a traditional majority private equity fund.

Vodafone Group Plc has completed the sale of its entire 100% stake in Vodafone Malta to Monaco Telecom SAM. The strategic rationale for the divestment is part of Vodafone's broader group strategy to simplify its portfolio and optimize its asset base to focus on larger regional markets and reduce debt. For Monaco Telecom, the acquisition represents a significant expansion of its Mediterranean footprint, adding a market leader with a strong spectrum portfolio and a high-quality customer base. The deal allows Monaco Telecom to apply its operational model to a new jurisdiction while initially operating under the Vodafone brand during a transitional period. This transaction underscores the ongoing consolidation in the European telecom sector, where smaller, agile operators like Monaco Telecom seek to acquire mature assets from larger global groups looking to reallocate capital.

Groupe Bollore sold its 100% stake in Wifirst to a consortium of investors (Amundi, Bpifrance, Socadif) and the management team. The deal is heavily leveraged, financed by a EUR100 million unitranche debt facility provided by Pemberton.

A high-profile financial consortium comprising Apax Partners, Warburg Pincus, Canada Pension Plan Investment Board (CPPIB), and Ontario Teachers' Pension Plan (OTPP) has completed the public-to-private take-private acquisition of satellite communications pioneer Inmarsat. This all-cash offer, which was unanimously recommended by Inmarsat’s board of directors, delivered a significant 27% premium over the preceding share price, comfortably outbidding a prior acquisition proposal made by EchoStar. The institutional buyout secured critical early momentum by gaining the formal backing of hedge fund Lansdowne Partners, Inmarsat’s largest shareholder, which committed its 11.4% equity stake to the transaction. The investment thesis represents a premier, large-scale infrastructure and TMT platform buyout, meticulously designed to capitalize on Inmarsat’s strategic supremacy within the global satellite communications sector. By transitioning the asset into private ownership following an exhaustive due diligence process, the consortium establishes full control over a highly resilient, globally distributed network infrastructure characterized by strong cash-generation capabilities. The post-closing strategic rationale centers on deploying an extensive corporate restructuring and operational reorganization plan engineered to maximize capital efficiency, streamline technical workflows, and improve overall profitability.

Celeste, a French telecom operator specializing in ultra-high-speed internet services for businesses, is opening up the majority of its capital to InfraVia. The company announced revenues of EUR20 million in 2018 and an EBITDA margin of close to 60%.

Latour Capital led the acquisition of Sogetrel from Quilvest Private Equity for an estimated valuation. This follows a period of hyper-growth where the group exceeded its 5-year business plan in just 24 months. The transaction included a significant reinvestment from the management team, led by Xavier Vignon, who retained 30% of the equity. The strategy for this new cycle focuses on continued organic growth and strategic acquisitions to diversify service offerings.

The acquisition of SMS.it represents a pivotal strategic move for LINK Mobility, aimed at securing a dominant market position within the Italian mobile messaging sector. By integrating SMS.it, which operates an independent mobile network and maintains key interworking agreements with Italian operators, LINK Mobility gains immediate access to significant messaging volume and an established customer base. This acquisition is part of the Group’s broader strategy to expand its European footprint through the consolidation of leading regional players, thereby enhancing its ability to provide scalable, cross-border mobile communication services. The strategic rationale is driven by the demand for digital convergence and the necessity for robust, high-uptime messaging infrastructure to support enterprise-to-consumer communication.

T-Mobile NL has announced a definitive agreement to acquire Tele2 NL, orchestrating a major, market-consolidating corporate buyout within the Dutch telecommunications sector. The transaction was structured with the financial advisory backing of Credit Suisse and J.P. Morgan, alongside premium legal counsel provided by De Brauw, with completion scheduled for the second half of 2018 subject to customary regulatory approvals. Under the terms of the corporate combination, the two organizations have established a comprehensive joint integration roadmap designed to ensure a seamless alignment of their respective asset portfolios and operations. The acquisition thesis is fundamentally rooted in creating a powerful, scale-driven challenger platform capable of aggressively disrupting the established duopoly of the two dominant incumbent operators in the Netherlands. By absorbing Tele2 NL, T-Mobile NL executes a major expansion of its nationwide infrastructure, successfully blending both companies' physical assets and engineering capabilities. The strategic rationale focuses heavily on capturing deep operational and financial synergies, creating an extensive unified distribution network, and maximizing their combined online market presence.

Euskaltel has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire 100% of Telecable from Zegona Communications plc. The transaction's capital structure incorporates the assumption of €245 million in net debt alongside a structured earn-out framework providing an additional contingent payment of up to €15 million tied to the crystallization of specific tax assets. The consideration mix is engineered via a combination of cash and equity, under which Zegona will roll over its proceeds to secure a 15% strategic minority equity stake in Euskaltel's expanded capital. The acquisition thesis represents a major regional consolidation play within the Spanish telecommunications sector. By absorbing Telecable, Euskaltel successfully executes its northern expansion strategy, seamlessly connecting its core Basque infrastructure with a high-performance cable network that holds a market-leading position in the Asturias region. The strategic rationale focuses on driving significant post-merger operational and financial synergies, unlocking cost-reduction frameworks to enhance combined margin profitability.

BT Group has completed the 100% equity acquisition of EE from its joint venture parents Deutsche Telekom and Orange. The combination unites the country's largest fixed-line network with the leading mobile operator to assemble a single integrated telecommunications provider. This consolidation is driven by rapid market transition toward single-invoice quad-play service bundles that combine broadband, TV, fixed telephony, and mobile data. Capturing EE allows the acquirer to safeguard its premium customer base against alternative cable and media challengers offering aggregated connectivity services. The transaction structure includes an equity swap component, resulting in Deutsche Telekom and Orange becoming significant institutional shareholders in BT Group with stakes of 12% and 4% respectively. Final clearance was granted by the Competition and Markets Authority, which concluded that the minimal horizontal overlap between separate fixed and mobile operations would not impair market competition.