WINDTRE and Iliad Italy are planning to conclude their 5G network sharing joint venture agreement in the fourth quarter of this year. A report from MondoMobileWeb says that around 6,600 radio sites will be transferred by WINDTRE to a separate entity dubbed NewCo, as well as 570 transmission sites and 380 repeaters. The towers will cover approximately 25% of Italy’s population in rural areas.
Once the agreement is finalised, Iliad Italy will pay EUR300 million, subject to working capital and net debt adjustments, to acquire a 50% stake in NewCo, allowing it to improve its rural footprint without having to resort to its own network rollout in these regions.
The joint venture proposal was given the green light by regulators earlier this year. The Communications Regulatory Authority (Autorita per le Garanzie nelle Comunicazioni, Agcom) said there are no issues regarding competition, adding the tie-up will be of benefit to rural customers and could encourage other firms to deploy networks in underserved areas.
Source: https://www.commsupdate.com/articles/2022/08/31/italian-5g-jv-expected-to-be-concluded-in-q4/