- The loan will unlock a total investment of €631 million in mobile communications infrastructure in Spain, Portugal, France, Italy and Poland.
- This funded project will accelerate Europe’s digital transition and facilitate investment in the cohesion region’s communications infrastructure.
Barcelona, July 24, 2021. The European Investment Bank (EIB) has signed a €315 million financing agreement with Cellnex to support the development of mobile communications infrastructure to support 5G deployment in Spain, Portugal, France, Italy and Poland. The loan will mobilize a total investment of €631 million to improve and expand the coverage and capacity of ultra-high bandwidth mobile network infrastructure in these countries, supporting the digital transition in both urban and rural areas. Contributes to acceleration.
The project includes new communications infrastructure such as cell phone masts and city base stations, improvements that allow multiple operators to share infrastructure, deployment of fiber to connect towers to each operator’s network, It includes a distributed antenna system that significantly increases the station’s capacity. Use renewable energy and other energy efficiency measures at selected base stations to save energy and reduce network CO2 emissions.
This project is an example of the open access business model typical of passive communications infrastructure providers like Cellnex. This model facilitates the use of base stations shared by multiple carriers, reducing the total number of base stations required without negatively impacting network bandwidth and coverage or the digital services provided to individuals. To do.
The project will make a significant contribution to the EU Digital Decade 2030 goals and accelerate investment in the infrastructure needed for the digital transition in Europe’s urban and rural areas. Around half of the new masts will be installed in agglomerated regions (areas with per capita income below 75% of the EU average), thereby helping to close the digital divide and generate socio-economic benefits in relevant regions. This is his second engagement between EIB and Cellnex to promote the development of Europe’s mobile communications infrastructure.
The agreement was signed today in Barcelona by EIB Vice-President Ricardo Mourinho Félix and Cellnex’s Chief Financial Officer and Corporate Development Director Jose Manuel Aissa.
“This financing agreement will enable the EIB to support key projects that will help accelerate Europe’s digital transition,” he said. EIB Vice-President Ricardo Mourinho Felix. “We are very happy to collaborate with Cellnex on this financing aimed at expanding and optimizing mobile communications infrastructure in five European countries, including Spain. This infrastructure, especially the deployment of 5G, is essential for the digital transition. The agreement signed today will also increase the density of this infrastructure in cohesive regions, increasing economic, social and territorial cohesion. contributes to the EIB’s goal of promoting
Cellnex Chief Financial Officer Jose Manuel Aissa “This new agreement with the EIB strengthens the partnership with one of the most important institutions of the European Union and demonstrates the company’s commitment to contributing to the EU’s digital and technological development.” . This funding will enable us to continue supporting our client with the rollout of new sites, ensuring an efficient and seamless rollout of his 5G in several countries. We are also very pleased with the features of this business, which have long maturities and competitive interest rates, allowing us to improve our average debt maturities. ”
cellnex telecom
Efficient deployment of next-generation connectivity is essential to driving innovation and accelerating inclusive economic growth. Cellnex is an independent wireless communications and broadcasting infrastructure operator. This will give operators access to Europe’s most extensive network of advanced telecommunications infrastructure on a shared-use basis, reducing access barriers for new operators and improving services in the most remote areas. can.
Cellnex manages a portfolio of approximately 135,000 sites in Spain, Italy, the Netherlands, France, Switzerland, the United Kingdom, Ireland, Portugal, Austria, Denmark, Sweden and Poland, with projected deployments to 2030. Cellnex’s business consists of his four main areas: Solutions for audiovisual broadcast networks, security and emergency services networks, smart city infrastructure and service management (smart cities and the “Internet of Things” (IoT)).
EIB
The European Investment Bank (ElB) is the European Union’s long-term lending institution owned by member states. We make long-term finance available for sound investments to contribute to EU policy objectives. The European Investment Bank Group (EIB Group), consisting of the European Investment Bank (EIB) and the European Investment Fund (EIF), will increase its total lending in 2022, including record financing for climate action and environmental sustainability projects. reported that it exceeded 9.9 billion euros. .
