Page 89 - SAMENA Trends - November-December 2019

WHOLESALE UPDATES SAMENA TRENDS

WHOLESALE NEWS

Altice, Morgan Stanley Create Portuguese Fiber Wholesaler

Altice Europe has announced that its assets in Portugal including fiber-to-the- in the context of our Portuguese tower
subsidiary PT Portugal (trading as MEO) home (FTTH) infrastructure and dark fiber; transaction in 2018, now continues with
has signed an agreement with Morgan the telco’s FTTH networks currently pass a transformational fiber project. Following
Stanley Infrastructure Partners to create around four million Portuguese homes with this transaction, Altice Europe has obtained
a nationwide fiber wholesaler in Portugal. fiber. The company seeks to sell wholesale cash proceeds in excess of EUR5.7 billion
MEO will sell a minority equity stake of services to all domestic operators at through the transformational SFR FTTH
49.99% in a new company – Altice Portugal the same financial terms. Patrick Drahi, transaction [in France] and the various
FTTH – based on an enterprise value of founder of Altice, commented: ‘I am very tower sales and partnerships announced
EUR4.63 billion (USD5.15 billion). The new pleased that our partnership with Morgan in 2018. Altice’s portfolio of infrastructure
company comprises of all MEO’s fiber Stanley Infrastructure Partners, initiated assets continues to grow.’

Windstream Wholesale Signs Its Largest Core Transport Deal

Windstream Wholesale says that it has executed the largest its U.S. presence, Windstream Wholesale has had a sharp focus on
agreement in its history for core transport. The client was termed “a international opportunities in recent months. In June, the company
major hyperscale” entity but was not identified in the press release. established a presence in the MDC data center in El Paso, TX. The
The capacity will enable the client to interconnect data centers in data center is located at network crossing points between the
key cities in the United States, the company says. “Our flexibility United States and Mexico. In January, Windstream Wholesale said
and customer-tailored routes coupled with our unique domestic that it had signed an agreement to use Telxius to connect with
network density in Tiers 1, 2 and 3 cities have positioned us as the the Marea and Brusa Cable Station Landing in Virginia Beach, VA.
‘go-to’ provider for international carriers, content providers, fiber The move was designed to increase its international connectivity.
operators and others needing domestic diversity and redundancy,” Telxius is the telecommunications infrastructure company of
Joe Scattareggia, the executive vice president for Wholesale Sales Telefónica Group. The day before, Windstream Wholesale said that
at Windstream, said in a press release. “Our Wholesale business it would use existing long-haul fiber to expand its core network by
has been on a steady growth trajectory for some time. Hitting our more than 200 miles to Montreal, Canada.
single highest month of capacity sold is a great accomplishment
and reflects the inflection point of marketplace bandwidth demand
and our network solutions designed to meet this demand.” The
deal, according to the announcement made today, “combined with
additional wave capacity contracted in October, and represents
5.7 terabits of capacity – the most sold in any single month at
Windstream Wholesale.” Windstream Wholesale utilizes multiple
network platforms including a nationwide IP network, a proprietary
cloud core architecture and a local and long-haul fiber network
spanning approximately 150,000 miles. In addition to building up

ICASA Probes MTN and Cell C Roaming Tie Up

The Independent Communications which provided 3G and 4G services to Cell question of whether any agreement that
Authority of South Africa (ICASA) said it C customers outside of main metro areas. pertains to a regulated service or use of
will investigate the new expanded roaming Cell C said the new roaming agreement a licensed resource (such as spectrum)
agreement between MTN and Cell C. The adheres to all applicable legal and requires approval or triggers regulatory
industry regulator confirmed that it has regulatory requirements, adding that Cell C compliance requirements is one which the
been informed of the roaming agreement and MTN will maintain their spectrum and authority can never leave to the parties
by the parties. The new deal builds on an each party will use its own frequencies. alone to determine.
existing roaming deal dating from 2018, ICASA CEO Willington Ngwepe said the
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