As we know, the Middle East and North Africa is the region least penetrated by the towerco business model globally, and decisions made by MNOs over the next few years will dictate who ends up as the ultimate owner of MENA’s 275,104 towers. Zain has opted to sell and leaseback its towers with IHS Towers, but the Saudi Telecom Company (STC) is exploring the creation of an STC-owned, but independently managed, towerco for the kingdom. In Europe, joint ventures like CTIL are common, with Vodafone and Telefónica sharing their assets since 2012. Our four panellists discuss the advantages and disadvantages of different tower ownership models and what the future holds for towers in MENA.
If towercos are so great, why wouldn’t an MNO want their own one?
