Phoenix Tower International (PTI) has signed a significant BTS agreement with Italian MNO Iliad for the development of up to 1,900 new telecommunications sites in densely populated and moderately populated areas. The build will further expand and densify Iliad’s 4G/5G mobile network. Under the agreement, PTI will offer Iliad long-term access to these sites under favourable conditions, supporting Iliad’s commitment to delivering high-quality mobile services to its rapidly growing customer base.
“We are thrilled to enter into this strategic partnership with Iliad in Italy, a dynamic and innovative player in the Italian telecommunications sector,” Dagan Kasavana, CEO of Phoenix Tower International said. “This transaction is perfectly aligned with our European growth strategy and enables us to strengthen our footprint in Italy. We look forward to supporting Iliad Group’s continued success and growth in this market and others.”
According to PTI, the collaboration between PTI and Iliad underscores PTI’s commitment to providing world-class infrastructure solutions that meet the evolving needs of Iliad.
The completion of this transaction is subject to customary regulatory conditions. No financial details or build timeframes were disclosed by either party.
Iliad is the newest MNO in Italy, having entered the country in 2018 with a low-cost strategy. Since then, it has managed to increase market share to 13% and passed the 10mn mobile subscribers mark, according to end-2023 figures, published by its parent company Iliad Group.
In 2019, Iliad carried out a sale and leaseback deal selling its 2,200 sites to Cellnex for EUR600mn. The deal also included a build-to-suit component for an extra cash consideration, with Cellnex to build up to 1,000 new towers for the operator.
PTI entered Italy in 2020 acquiring TowerTel from parent El Towers in conjunction with F2i and has grown its tower portfolio since then.
Earlier this year, TowerXchange published a Demand Forecast featuring the 10 most active European markets, including Italy, where tower builds and adjacent services are expected driven by the EU’s Digital Decade connectivity targets. As towercos take over network rollouts from mobile operators, densify networks, and provide connectivity in areas with different population density, we anticipate hearing more BTS and infill connectivity contract announcements.
