Financial services major Macquarie Asset Management will acquire a 40 per cent stake in Open Fiber for €2.12 billion (US$2.51 billion).
Open Fiber is jointly controlled by Enel and CDP. It operates Italy’s largest fibre-to-the-home network, with more than 12 million households passed in more than 180 urban centres and more than 2,300 rural municipalities across the country.
The ASX-listed Macquarie Group Ltd’s asset management division will partner with CDP Equity which will own the remaining 60 per cent equity interest in Open Fiber following the completion of the sale of Enel’s entire stake in the business.
Jiri Zrust, senior managing director at Macquarie Asset Management, said: “Enhancing access to reliable, ultrafast broadband is key if households and businesses across Italy are to harness the significant opportunities presented by a more connected society and economy.
“We look forward to supporting the delivery of Italy’s next-generation digital infrastructure through our investment in Open Fiber, partnering with its talented workforce and CDP Equity to deliver first class, open-access network infrastructure across Italy.”
High-capacity digital infra
This investment is part of Macquarie’s ongoing efforts to support the roll out of high-capacity digital infrastructure networks around the world.
Completion of the transaction is expected in Q4 2021, subject to the satisfaction of customary closing conditions and the receipt of necessary approvals from the Presidency of Italy’s Council of Ministers and the European Commission Competition Authority.
Recently, Macquarie Data Centres, part of the Macquarie Telecom Group has announced a new data centre at its Macquarie Park Data Centre Campus in Sydney.
Located in the Sydney North Zone at the Macquarie Park Data Centre Campus the new facility will be the largest data centre on the campus, bringing the total IT load of the campus to 50MW, the company had said.
Read: https://w.media/macquarie-data-centres-announces-new-data-centre-in-north-sydney/
Similarly, in May, DCI Data Centers (DCI) announced a $70 million investment into South Australia to build the state’s most energy-efficient secure data centre facility in response to the growing needs of local business and government.
The funds will be used to build South Australia’s first purpose-built Tier-ReadyIII / IV secure cloud edge data centre which can meet defence-grade security requirements, the company said. DCI is fully owned by Brookfield Asset Management and its investment partners.
Read: https://w.media/dci-to-set-up-energy-efficient-secure-data-centre-in-south-australia/
