Page 76 - SAMENA Trends - July-August 2023

WHOLESALE UPDATES SAMENA TRENDS

Meridiam Signs FTTH Wholesale Agreement with Vodafone

French investor Meridiam has announced
a wholesale arrangement with Vodafone
Germany to deploy fiber-to-the-home
(FTTH) networks across different
municipalities in the country outside of the
operator’s existing gigabit cable footprint.
Under the partnership, Meridiam has
begun deploying fiber in seven underserved
regions, reaching homes currently without
access to gigabit connectivity, with an
expected completion date by the end of
2024. The investor aims to deploy FTTH
networks for 500,000 homes passed
in underserved areas over the next five
years, and Vodafone will market gigabit
broadband to these potential customers.
The project will be financed through a 30- Meridiam initiated its fiber strategy in 2020, and North America (the US and Canada)
year long-term bond, amounting to EUR100 and since then has invested close to EUR2 to connect people to high quality fiber
million (USD111.4 million), arranged by billion in the digital infrastructure sector in networks and contribute to reducing the
MEAG on behalf of institutional investors. Europe (Germany, Austria and Romania) digital divide.

Asterion-Owned Olin Group Looking to Build Wholesale Telco After Snapping
Up Ten Regional Operators

Spanish investment fund Asterion 35 municipalities and more than 900,000 in Olin Group a platform of 1.6 million
Industrial Partners is looking to use its homes passed (acquired in partnership connected homes and close to 6,000km
recently acquired fiber assets to create with Teras Capital) – and established of fiber – which will only increase once the
a wholesale fiber company capable of a fiber start-up, Olin Group, which is seven pre-agreements are completed. Its
taking on Telefonica. Since June 2022 reportedly in the process of acquiring XGS-PON-powered network is capable of
the fund has purchased no fewer than ten a further seven telcos before the year delivering speeds of up to 10Gbps, and it
regional operators – such as Olivenet, a end. According to the online news portal is reportedly looking to open up more than
regional telecom provider that operates in Expansion, the investment group, created half its footprint to third-party operators
Andalucia with a presence in approximately by the entrepreneur Jesus Olmos, has during the course of 2023.

CityFibre Announces Launch of 2.5Gbps Wholesale Product

British full fiber infrastructure operator 90% of its fibre exchanges with the new
CityFibre has launched what it claims is the 2.5Gbps product becoming available to
UK’s first wholesale 2.5Gbps symmetrical around 20% of its ready for service footprint
consumer broadband product. According – which currently stands at 2.5 million
to CityFibre, the new wholesale offering is premises. Meanwhile, multi-gig speeds
being made available to its ISP partners will also reportedly be made available for
on a rolling basis, starting in the operator’s premises where CityFibre’s network is yet
‘most mature’ XGS-PON deployment areas. to be upgraded to XGS-PON. According to
It says it expects the 2.5Gbps wholesale the operator such a development will be
product to be available at all premises achieved via a 2Gbps/1Gbps asymmetric
served by its ‘rapidly expanding’ XGS-PON GPON product that it plans to launch in
platform ‘in the coming months’. CityFibre the coming months. These services will
notes that by the end of 2023 it aims to have ultimately be migrated to the XGS-PON
deployed its XGS-PON equipment into over platform when available.
76 JULY-AUGUST 2023