NOS sells communications towers to Cellnex Telecom and fits 550 million euros in 6 years

NOS has just announced the agreement, which was signed today, which confirms the sale of all passive mobile network infrastructures, which includes about 2 thousand sites, between towers androoftops. In January, Altice also sold the 25% it still held in Omtel Celnex, which acquired the entire company that already managed 3000 telecommunication towers from MEO since 2018. The Spanish group now owns a park with 5,000 towers of mobile telecommunications and extends its position in Portugal, the eighth country where it operates in Europe.

For NOS, this business is seen as an important step for the development of the company. "This operation is an important step in consolidating our current and future investment strategy in expanding, optimizing and improving the quality of mobile data and voice service, more efficiently," said Miguel Almeida, NOS CEO, in a statement. The executive responsible for the company adds that we have thus reinforced our commitment to ensure that we enable our operations in the right conditions to continue to be the natural partner of companies in responding to the increasingly demanding digital transformation challenge, and Portuguese families that we will continue to serve with an experience of excellence.

Despite the sale of the assets, NOS will continue to use the towers to install the active network infrastructures, having signed an agreement with a 15-year term, renewable for equal periods.

According to the statement, the two companies also entered into a "long-term agreement for the NOS provision by Cellnex of hosting services for NOS active network in the passive infrastructures, now acquired", and also foresee a perimeter increase of up to 400 additional sites over the next 6 years.

The value of the transaction is 550 million euros, over 6 years, with an initial payment of about 375 million euros.

To move forward, the business must still guarantee "satisfaction of the usual conditions in this type of transaction" and not be opposed by the Competition Authority.

It is recalled that in February NOS and Vodafone had signed an intent agreement for the sharing of 5G infrastructure, extending an agreement to share sites that had been in existence for several years.

Editor's Note: The news has been updated with more information