Mexico: ALTÁN Redes selects network partners
ALTÁN Redes, the company in charge of the Mexican Red Compartida, has appointed Huawei and Nokia to deploy the LTE and 5G-ready wholesale network.
Mexico: IFETEL to hold 4G spectrum auction in Q3
IFETEL plans to hold a 2.5GHz band spectrum auction in Q3 2017. The auction details will be published in Q2 2017.
El Salvador: Phoenix Tower International acquires sites from Digicel
Phoenix Tower International has agreed to acquire 202 telecom towers from Digicel El Salvador for an undisclosed amount. Commenting on the deal, PTI CEO Dagan Kasavana described the acquisition as a “logical expansion of PTI’s operations”, adding “we are already a leading infrastructure provider for the major carriers operating in El Salvador in other markets we do business in, [and] this transaction will allow us to continue to support their needs in a new market, furthering our relationships.”
Panama: Torrecom enters Panama
Independent towerco Torrecom entered the Panamanian market in Q1 and now owns 25 towers in the country. Details of the acquisition have not been disclosed.
Dominican Republic, Costa Rica, Panama, El Salvador, Colombia and Peru: Consortium of lenders closes US$120mn loan facility with Phoenix Tower International
PTI has announced the closing of a Latin American credit facility involving its subsidiaries in the Dominican Republic, Costa Rica, Panama, El Salvador, Colombia and Peru consortium of lenders led by Scotiabank and joined by Banco General, S.A., ING Capital LLC, Popular Bank Ltd. Inc., Towerbank International Inc. and Metrobank, S.A.
Chile: Entel considers tower sale
Entel Chile is rumored to be considering a partial divestiture of its tower assets. Entel owns approximately 3,000 sites in Chile and might sell up to 700 in its first transaction.
Colombia: Colombia starts 4G spectrum auction
The Ministry of Information Technology and Communications alongside the National Spectrum Agency initiated the spectrum auction process for 4G-suitable 700MHz and 1900MHz bands.
Colombia: Tigo considering Colombian tower sale
Following the recent announcement of the sale of its Paraguayan towers to American Tower, Millicom’s Tigo is reportedly looking at divesting approximately 1,800 towers in Colombia.
Colombia and Peru: Digital Bridge completes capital raise for Andean Tower Partners
The Olayan Group, Equity International and TC Latin America Partners have agreed to commit to a combined US$150mn for mobile infrastructure deployment. Previously, ATP has raised US$80mn from ISA, bringing the total value of new investments to US$230mn.
Peru: BTS Towers raises capital
BTS Towers - the executive team behind NMS, whose towers have been acquired by Uniti Towers - has raised over US$100mn to invest in Central and South American telecom infrastructure solutions. Major shareholders include Cartesian Capital Group, Amzak Capital and the International Finance Corporation (IFC).
Brazil: Telxius’ BRUSA to launch in 2018
Telxius’ BRUSA cable is on track for its 2018 launch. The 11,000km cable will connect Rio de Janeiro (Brazil) with Virginia Beach (United States) and will provide eight fibre pairs to support ultrafast transmission capacity. According to Telxius, BRUSA will offer one of the lowest latency communication links between between two of the largest economies in the region.
Brazil: Sawiris gives deadline to Oi
Naguib Sawiris has given Oi a deadline of June 1 to present an alternative judicial reorganisation plan. Alternatively, the rescue plan Sawiris and bondholders have presented to the MNO would drop.
Brazil: Oi sells 16% stake to asset management firm
A Brazilian subsidiary of Safra Asset Management acquired a 16,11% stake in Oi. According to the filing, Safra does not intend to change Oi’s control or management structure.
Brazil: 4G coverage tripled in 2016
In 2016, 4G coverage tripled in Brazil with networks installed in 1,526 municipalities (+225% compared from 2015). To date, 71% of the Brazilian population is covered by 4G networks.
Paraguay: Tigo and American Tower seal tower deal
Millicom’s Tigo has agreed to sell around 1,400 towers to American Tower for an estimated total value of US$125mn. The proceedings of the sale and leaseback deal will contribute to Millicom’s expansion in LatAm, as the MNO is considering an entry into Costa Rica.
Argentina: The IIC seals loan deal with Telecom Personal
The Inter-American Investment Corporation (IIC), part of the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) Group, has signed a US$100mn financing package with Argentinian MNO Telecom Personal, for the expansion of its 4G network.
Argentina: Shareholder shuffle expected at Telecom Argentina
Grupo Fintech is planning to increase its stake in Sofora Telecomunicaciones, the indirect owner of Telecom Argentina. To date, Nortel Inversora, controlled by Sofora Telecomunicaciones, owns 55,6% of Telecom Argentina, 44,37% of the MNO is listed on the BCBA and NYSE, while the remaining 0,03% is designated as Class C shares.
