The Cellnex telecommunications infrastructure group has raised 631 million euros from the sale of 2,353 sites to Phoenix Tower International (PTI) and the joint venture between PTI and Bouygues Telecom. The transaction is part of the agreement reached with these companies at the beginning of last year for the assignment of a total of 3,226 towers -to be closed in 30 months-.
The company, the European leader in wireless telecommunications infrastructures, will allocate these revenues to reduce debt, in line with the objectives set at the end of last year, also focused on the company's organic growth. The sale operation announced this Wednesday includes 150 sites completed in the first half of the year and 2,203 sites completed last August, all located in urban areas. While the completion of the sale of the remaining 870 towers is scheduled for next year.
In total, the company manages 30,000 sites in France -a figure that includes deployments planned up to 2030- for three large mobile operators that operate in the country -Bouygues Telecom, Free and SFR-, one of Cellnex's main markets by business volume and managed assets.
The company, chaired by Ane Bouverot, closed the second quarter with a net financial debt of 17.9 billion euros, with 76% referenced to a fixed rate. Likewise, it recorded losses of 193 million, 13.5% more than in the same period of the previous year. While income grew to 2,001 million, from the 1,795 million it achieved in the first half of the previous year.
