Etisalat Nigeria today announced the sale of 2,136 of its towers to IHS Holding Limited (“IHS”) as part of a broader strategy to drive improvements in the quality of its network performance and to accelerate roll out of 2G & 3G coverage and new services to its customers. The transaction, the first by a major GSM operator in Nigeria, is expected to close later this year.
Etisalat currently has the highest quality network in Nigeria and the partnership with IHS is designed to promote network sharing, ensure higher quality, sustain reliable mobile services, lower overall costs and also promote a cleaner environment through reduced diesel usage and increased investments in alternative energy solutions.
Over the past 18 months, IHS has installed a large number of alternative energy sites in Nigeria. These investments in addition to further investments in its state-of-the-art Network Operations Centre mean that uptimes of over 99% are achieved on its owned sites. Under the terms of this transaction IHS has committed to investing a further USD100 million in the towers acquired, on advanced generators, efficient batteries and alternative energy solutions to reduce diesel consumption and improve efficiency of grid use.
Matthew Willsher, CEO of Etisalat Nigeria, said: “Continued demand for mobile connectivity along with increased consumption of data requires reliable and effective networks that are also cost efficient for network operators. The decision to sell our passive infrastructure to an experienced commercial partner, such as IHS, is part of our strategy to increase network coverage and capacity which is already rated number 1 for quality of service by the NCC.
http://perfectbrandsng.com/etisalat-nigeria-and-ihs-sign-tower-sale-and-lease-back-agreement-for-nigeria-portfolio/
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