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Tower Xchange
Tower Xchange
Meet top 200 LatAm tower decision makers at the TowerXchange
Meetup Americas!
ISSUE 7 | February 2014 | www.towerxchange.com
Special feature:How to raise capital and conduct due diligence
on tower transactions
The journal for the emerging market telecom tower industry
TowerXchange Africa:< Africas $3bn tower sale kicks off in
Nigeria< BMI revisits first movers in Ghana< IHSs deal with
MTN in Rwanda and Zambia
TowerXchange Americas:< Will the tower market open further in
Mexico?< Trilogy and Cizmic views on Caribbean towers< The
first LatAm independent tower count
TowerXchange Asia:< Indonesias mature and profitable tower
industry< Myanmar: the last frontier< A first look at
Myanmars four towercos
Jim Eisenstein on Brazil: The US tower industry on fast
forward
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With special thanks to the TowerXchange Inner CircleAbout
TowerXchange
TowerXchange is your independent community for operators,
towercos, investors and suppliers interested in African towers.
Were a community of practitioners formed to promote and accelerate
infrastructure sharing in Africa. TowerXchange dont build, operate
or invest in towers; were a neutral community host and commentator
on African telecoms infrastructure.
The TowerXchange Journal is free to qualifying recipients. We
also provide webinars and regular meetups. TowerXchange monetizes
this community through hosting annual Meetups and the sale of
advertising, without compromising editorial integrity.
TowerXchange was founded by Kieron Osmotherly, a TMT community
host and events organizer with 16 years experience, and is governed
with the support and advice of the TowerXchange Inner Circle an
informal network of advisors
Our informal network of advisers:
Chairman: Daniel LeeManaging DirectorIntrepid Advisory
Partners
Michel FaivreDirecteur Programme PartagedInfrastructure
AMEAFrance Telecom-Orange
Fazal HussainCEOSWAP International
Nina TriantisManaging Director, GlobalHead of Telecoms &
MediaStandard Bank
Jeffrey EldredgePartnerVinson & Elkins
Ayman Al AdlDirector, TMT, Middle East & AfricaStandard
Chartered Bank
Torsten EsbjrnRegional Director, AfricaRamboll
Gary StauntonCEOLikusasa Group
Alan HarperCEOEaton Towers
Riana DonaldsonManager: International NetworkOperations
SupportVodacom
Laurentius HumanSnr Director, Corp FinanceJabil
Andrew DoyleManaging DirectorTech & Comms PracticeMott
MacDonald
Natasha GoodPartnerFreshfields
Ahjeeth JaiJaiConsultantInvestec
Rajat MalhotraCEO, Middle East & AfricaHayat
Communications
David MeganckFounder & COOAcsys
Chuck GreenCEOHelios Towers Africa
Adeel BajwaSenior GM of Legal Affairs andContractsWarid
Telecom
Inder BajajCEOHelios Towers Nigeria
Chris Gabrielformer CEO, Zain AfricaSenior Adviser, Macquarie
GroupChairman, Clean Power Systems
Areef KassamDirector of InfrastructureGSMA Mobile for
Development
Tunde TitilayoVice ChairmanSWAP International
Thorsten SchaeferCEOazeti Networks
Zouhair KhaliqConsultant, Executive DirectorWarid Telecom,
Former CEO,Orascom Intl Investment
2014 Site Seven Media Ltd. All rights reserved. Neither the
whole nor any substantial part of this publication may be
re-produced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted by any
means without the prior permission of Site Seven Media Ltd. Short
extracts may be quoted if TowerXchange is cited as the source.
TowerXchange is a trading name of Site Seven Media Ltd, registered
in the UK. Company number 8293930.
www.towerxchange.com | TowerXchange Meetup |
9www.towerxchange.com | TowerXchange Issue 7 | 2| TowerXchange
Issue 7 | www.towerxchange.com2
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Contents
Regular features11 LatAm news: consolidation imminent
15 LatAm tower count
16 TowerXchange Meetup Americas agenda
30 Africa news :Nigeria, DRC, Rwanda and Zambia
38 Africa tower count and heatmap
42 BMI Analysis: Ghana
64 46 83
112
Mexico case study
Due Diligence Dossier
A sneak preview of the tower industry in Southeast Asia
RMS and site management systems
65 Mott MacDonald Share Square & BMI Analysis73 Mark Ganzis
Mexico Tower Partners76 IIMT: 90% coverage requires 70,000 towers80
Ve Por Ms: could infrasharing be mandated?
47 Daniel Lee on how to raise capital51 Hardiman compares
towercos worldwide56 Citis Gulfraz Qayyum takes the sell side59
Analysys Mason tackle the buy side
84 Introduction to Indonesian towers 91 TowerXchanges Myanmar
case study 95 Myanmar - the last frontier 97 GSM TP adapt tower
design for Myanmar
134 Whos who in turnkey infrastructure in LatAm135 Leadcom on
the structure of TI in LatAm 140 Grid Rental Sites on rooftops and
DAS143 Jtel serve Northeast and jungle regions of Brazil147
Integrated solutions provider AJ Ingenieros
116 Accruent improve time to project completion121 Infozechs
applied analytics125 NAAP on infrastructure lifecycle management129
Westell: Intelligent Site Management in LatAm
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Special features
5 Cover story: Jim Eisenstein, GTS interview
100 Caribbean case study with Trilogy and Cizmic
148 TowerPower: Controllis, ELTEK and SDMO
160 Rooftops, masts and towers: TNX and Solaris
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Africas leading, independent, telecom tower company
HTA acquires, builds and manages wireless telecom
infrastructure, leasing it to mobile network operators across
Ghana, Tanzania and the Democratic Republic of Congo.
HTAs model of shared telecoms infrastructure, and its scale,
helps to deliver improved efficiency and network quality and
reliability for operators, reduced costs for users and increased
accessibility.
Find out more about our business www.heliostowersafrica.com
6162_HTA_Ad_355x255mm_AW.indd 1 31/10/2012 16:43
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Latin America: the U.S. Tower Industry in Fast ForwardJim
Eisensteins journey from the first four American Tower sites to
Grupo Torresurs 6,100 Brazilian towers
Jim Eisenstein, Chairman and CEO, Grupo TorreSur
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TowerXchange: As one of the patriarchs of the independent tower
industry, how did this notion of renting capacity on towers to
multiple tenants first come about?
Jim Eisenstein, Chairman and CEO, Grupo TorreSur: We all came
into the tower business from different paths, but for me, it
happened thanks to the radio industry.
In the early nineties, our family was selling its radio stations
to a radio group based in Boston. When we sold the stations, we
decided to keep our four broadcast towers. The decision to keep
them was based on the fact that we had multiple tenants on each
tower in addition to the radio stations, and they were providing
significant revenue. This was back in 1995 and the Government had
started talking about auctioning six PCS licenses, which suggested
we could attract even more tenants, so I thought it might be wise
to keep the towers.
Steve Dodge, who was Chairman of American Radio and became a
great mentor to me, told me that many of their radio stations also
had tenants on their towers, and we agreed to combine our towers
with theirs and create a quasi-venture capital structure within
American Radio, which we not surprisingly called American
Tower.
Growing the tower business, though, was a direct function of the
explosion of the wireless business in the U.S. Once the PCS license
auctions became a reality, we realised we had the opportunity to be
an early entrant (and hopefully a leading player) into
Jim Eisenstein was among the founders of American Tower back in
the nineties. From four towers and a shared sense of a booming
market opportunity, he went on to become one of the leaders of the
tower industry in North America. Jim has since transferred his
passion for towers to the latest tremendous growth market, Brazil,
where he currently serves as Chairman and CEO of Grupo
TorreSur.
Read this article to learn:< Comparing the origins of the
North American tower industry with the tremendous growth of LatAm
towers< Topline growth potential in Brazil with 3G still being
deployed and 4G largely yet to come< How Brazilian towercos make
money; new tenancies and expansion (amendment) revenue - and the
current state of BTS
< How many more towers could change hands in Brazil?< At
what scale do towercos operate efficiently? A look at Grupo
Torresurs lean organisation
Keywords: Whos Who, Interview, Jim Eisenstein, Grupo TorreSur,
Brazil, South America, North America, American Tower, American
Radio, Tower People, Towercos, investment, 3G, 4G, Urban vs Rural,
Tenancy Ratios, Co-locations, Infrastructure Sharing,
Build-to-Suit, Densification, Consolidation, Oi, TIM, Vivo, Claro,
ANATEL, OpEx, Amendment Revenue, Market Share, C-level
Perspective
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the emerging wireless tower business.
The tower industry had and still has today two huge barriers to
entry. One was the zoning limitations for competing structures
where an existing tower was already in place. The other was the
substantial capital needed grow the business to scale. Steves Midas
reputation on Wall Street gave us early credibility and tremendous
access to capital and the zoning of sites became only more
difficult. So the more of the right towers in the right locations
we owned, the more protected we were. We knew that the co-location
model worked and understood its potential. We knew we could make a
decent return on an individual tower with one tenant, a good return
with two tenants, and a significant return with three or more
tenants.
TowerXchange: How do those early days of the U.S. tower industry
compare with the early days of the Latin American tower industry,
particularly Brazil? And how has the towerco business model been
adapted for Latin America?
Jim Eisenstein, Chairman and CEO, Grupo TorreSur: The entrance
of tower companies into Latin America has happened at a slightly
later stage of wireless deployment compared to the U.S. By the time
tower companies arrived in Latin America, carriers had already
built out their 2G networks. Since then, though, we have
experienced a much more rapid growth than occurred in the United
States. Brazil, in particular, has been like the U.S. tower
industry in fast forward.
To give you an idea of the growth curve, at the end of Q3 2010,
American Tower had developed about 1,500 towers in Brazil and our
company, Grupo TorreSur, had just been created. Since then, we have
completed six transactions and our portfolio is currently 6,094
towers. American Tower now
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has approximately 7,200 sites, SBA now operates around 5,200
towers in Brazil and BR Towers has approximately 4,000.
This means that in three years, around 23,000 of an estimated
60,000 towers have been sold in Brazil.
Rio de Janeiro, financial district
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The speed and volume of growth in the tower industry is
definitely much greater than in the U.S.
The tower company model has been adapted very quickly in Latin
America. We believed that Brazil, in particular, presented all the
right macro factors for us. It is a good country in which to do
business, carriers are still in the middle of building out their 3G
networks, 4G is coming right behind it, which in turn presents a
vast array of opportunities for us. Brazil is also a very
competitive market. Out of the five carriers active in the country,
four of them have 18-28% share of the market.
Brazils carriers are fiercely competitive but also have a great
need for capital to build out these new 3G and 4G networks. Tower
monetization allows the
carriers to shed non-core assets, garner the funds to build
these new networks and concentrate on their core competencies. This
has allowed for the dramatic growth of the tower industry. Given
the fact that Brazilian wireless carriers are probably six to eight
years behind U.S. carriers in terms of rollout and technology
migration, there is hopefully a very long runway for tower company
growth.
With carriers in the midst of their 3G implementations and
slowly beginning to work on 4G, the potential revenue growth for
tower companies is much more significant in Brazil than in the
United States. In the U.S., network build out is largely complete,
and most 4G projects are currently focused on cell densification,
whereas in Brazil we are still in the comparatively early stages of
tower market maturity.
TowerXchange: What are the key differences between Latin America
and the US in terms of how towercos make money? For example, how
does the balance of new tenant vs amendment vs build-to-suit (BTS)
revenue compare?
Jim Eisenstein, Chairman and CEO, Grupo TorreSur: Our main
focus, much like any tower company, is to grow our business
organically by placing additional tenants to our towers. The second
focus, also very important to our growth, is what what we call
expansion revenue (the equivalent of overlay or amendment revenue
in the U.S.), where existing carriers on our towers add additional
equipment to an existing site. We also look to grow our company by
acquisition of towers and we have been quite
active in this over the past three years. Right now, there arent
many greenfield (BTS) projects in Brazil because carriers are very
heavily involved in 3G expansions and colocations - the greenfield
market will likely become more important to the carriers once they
need to build in-fill and capacity sites for their 3G and 4G
footprints.
TowerXchange: What factors could significantly change the shape
of the tower market in Brazil?
Jim Eisenstein, Chairman and CEO, Grupo TorreSur: Carrier
consolidation, the possibility of TIM selling their towers, towerco
consolidation, and regulatory reform could all change the shape of
the market. I think the market in Brazil will continue to evolve
for the next few years.
TowerXchange: With almost 40% of towers in Brazil having already
been sold to independent towercos, how many more towers could be
sold?
Jim Eisenstein, Chairman and CEO, Grupo TorreSur: While Nextel
has divested its entire tower portfolio, Telefonica has sold
approximately 5,000 sites and Oi has sold close to 10,000 towers,
there are still more towers to be sold. Both Oi and VIVO still own
some of their towers and TIM may sell its sites. Historically Claro
has viewed its towers as a strategic asset so it remains to be seen
whether they will part with them.
TowerXchange: Out of the 6,094 towers that Grupo Torresur
currently owns and operates in Brazil, how many are in urban areas
and how
Right now, there arent many greenfield (BTS) projects in Brazil
because carriers are very heavily involved in 3G expansions and
colocations - the greenfield market will likely become more
important to the carriers once they need to build in-fill and
capacity sites for their 3G and 4G footprints.
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many are in rural areas? And what role can towercos play in
enhancing connectivity in rural areas?
Jim Eisenstein, Chairman and CEO, Grupo TorreSur: More than 70%
of our towers are located in high density, urban areas. The
remaining 30% are concentrated in suburban areas or along major
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transport corridors. These towers are most often near highways
or major secondary roads.
We feel very good about our portfolio and are working closely
with the carriers to enhance connectivity in rural areas, in
accordance with the plans set out by ANATEL.
TowerXchange: We hear financial analysts talk a lot about
driving towercos to scale - what size of portfolio constitutes
scale and how do economies of scale manifest for towercos?
Jim Eisenstein, Chairman and CEO, Grupo TorreSur:Every company,
of course, sets its own parameters with regard to the notion of
scale, but we feel we are in a good place at the moment. When we
decided to begin operating in Brazil, our original business model
required us to achieve a portfolio of 1,500 towers to operate
efficiently. Weve been fortunate, though, to grow our business
considerably larger than that.
TowerXchange: How many people does Grupo Torresur employ? What
functions are kept in-house and what is outsourced?
Jim Eisenstein, Chairman and CEO, Grupo TorreSur: Right now, we
employ fewer than 40 people. We try to run a lean organisation,
keeping sales, accounting and what we call LAPM - Lease
Administration and Property Management, in house.
The other operational functions, such as repair and maintenance,
are outsourced to highly reputable business partners.
TowerXchange: Is Grupo TorreSur focusing purely on towers, or is
the company getting involved in rooftops, DAS, transmission and
even active infrastructure sharing?
Jim Eisenstein, Chairman and CEO, Grupo TorreSur:
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Right now, GTS is focused purely on towers. We have looked at
DAS opportunities but for now we havent pursued it. And we arent
active in transmission or active infrastructure sharing.As for
rooftops, weve only acquired them where required in concert with
buying towers - only a very small proportion of our portfolio is
rooftops.
TowerXchange: What is your personal opinion about the potential
synergies between DAS and towers?
Jim Eisenstein, Chairman and CEO, Grupo TorreSur: There are
certainly some synergies, particularly on the sales side. The
customer is still the wireless carrier, whether theyre deploying
their network on towers or on indoor or outdoor DAS. But there is a
lot of complexity in owning an active network.
In the United States, there are some areas where macro sites
simply cannot be built, forcing carriers to use DAS to enhance
their network. DAS is certainly an important complement to the
tower industry; however, in Brazil there is a lot to be built in
terms of macro-sites and carriers and towercos are more focused on
that first.
TowerXchange: How attractive is Latin America for investment in
the telecom tower business? Can you tell us about your attracting
investment from Providence Equity?
Jim Eisenstein, Chairman and CEO, Grupo TorreSur: Brazil is a
very attractive destination for investors due to the strong topline
growth potential. Both U.S.
towercos and private equity firms have seen how the market is
performing and look at the country with interest.
Providence Equity has significant expertise in investing
internationally and understands the tower industry very well. For
me, it is a great opportunity to partner with one of the preeminent
private equity firms in the world.
TowerXchange: We know that tower transactions are a product of
leaseback rate, term, tenancy ratio and a host of other factors,
but in general are the prices being paid to acquire Brazilian
towers justifiable? For example how do you see the relative Return
on Capital Invested compared to BTS opportunities?
Jim Eisenstein, Chairman and CEO, Grupo TorreSur: I believe that
prices being paid are justified. Assets are valued more than
anything on the basis of their
growth potential. If you look at topline growth in Brazil, it is
dramatically higher than in United States. Companies see Brazil as
a good place to invest money because of the dramatic growth we have
experienced to date and the anticipated growth to come.
If returns were only the same or only marginally better than in
the US, then there would be no point in investing internationally,
incurring the risks of doing business abroad. But so far returns
have been quite strong and shown us continued very strong
potential, and we are glad to be part of this industry.
TowerXchange: How interested is Grupo Torresur in pursuing
opportunities beyond Brazil?
Jim Eisenstein, Chairman and CEO, Grupo TorreSur: We are very
happy to have invested in the tower business in Brazil and are
focused right now on the countrys tower industry growth and
expansion.
That said, we are always looking at opportunities in other Latin
American countries. We are assessing very carefully the key
elements that make investments attractive for us, such as
macro-economic factors, where the carriers are in their deployment
of 3G and 4G, the regulatory environment, our ability to achieve
scale and the expected returns.
If the right opportunity were to present itself, wed look at it
very closely
Brazil is a very attractive destination for investors due to its
strong topline growth potential
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The simplicity of the solution helps to install and
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By using the SONARLEX NG M2M Multiporpose
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Telefonica in talks with Iusacell?
Telefonica and Iusacell are reported to be in talks for a
potential acquisition. Iusacell is the third Mexican mobile
operator and is owned by Grupo Televisa and Grupo Salinas. A
possible merger between the two or an acquisition by Telefonica -
which currently has 20% market share - would place both the Spanish
company and Iusacell in a stronger position against its major
competitor, Amrica Mvil (70% market share).
Brazilian subscriptions
With 271.1 million mobile subscriptions by the end of 2013,
Anatel, the Brazilian telecom regulator, has reported a +3.6%
increase compared to 2012 and penetration rate of 136.5%.
Current subscriptions are divided between 58.9% GSM, 35% 3G and
approximately 1.3 million 4G LTE users with over 78% of them being
pre-paid accounts.
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The local market is currently led by Telefonica Vivo with 77.2
million customers (28.5% share), followed by TIM Brasil and its
73.4 million subscriptions (27.1% share) and Claro with 68.7 users
(25.3% share). In fourth place, PTs Oi achieves 50.2 million
connections (18.5% share).
Telecom Italia: from Telefonica to Egyptian talks
Telecom Italia is rumoured to be in talks with Telefonica, Oi
and Amrica Mvil over a deal worth Euro 10 billion or more for the
acquisition of its Brazilian branch, TIM Brasil.
While carriers havent confirmed, several banks including Citi,
Morgan Stanley and Pactual seem to be actively involved in
negotiations and talks between all players. In the meantime, the
Italian telecom giant has worked to establish a committee to
evaluate potential bids but the company isnt likely to accept
offers below Euro 9 billion.
While Telefonica has repeatedly denied any negotiation,
speculation continues about its potential involvement and plans to
buy and then split up TIM Brasil among Vivo, Oi and Amrica Mvils
Claro have appeared in several national and international media.
However, the process to reduce the market form four to three
players will need the backing of regulatory bodies that so far seem
unlikely to support any initiative which would significantly
increase Telefonicas stake in Telco, the holding company
controlling Telecom Italia, of which Telefonica is the largest
shareholder.
At the same time, Egyptian telecom mogul and minor shareholder
in Telecom Italia, Naguib Sawiris has expressed his interest in
buying TIM Brasil. Mr Sawiris repeatedly spoke against the
acquisition of TIM Brasil by Telefonica as a move that will devalue
Telecom Italia.
Moreover, Mr Sawiris declared he could potentially invest
further in Telecom Italia - which still needs a Euro 3 billion
capital injection - but would do so if and when Telefonica exits
and TIM Brasil doesnt get sold.
Vodafone to become new Brazilian player?
Brazil might gain a new player if UK giant Vodafone decides to
enter the Latin American M2M market, as rumoured.
While still finalising its exit from US Verizon
Brazil
Brazil
Mexico
Brazil UK
Regulatory changes and consolidation rumours in Latin
AmericaFrom Mexico to Chile: crucial changes in the telecom
scenario
Brazil
Brazil
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Wireless, Vodafone has been focusing on signing deals in India
and in the UK, among others, but has also finalised an agreement
with Datora Telecom to set up a Vodafone Brasil M2M brand.
Vodafones full entrance in the Brazilian market might be
facilitated by TIM Brasils potential sale, especially if the local
regulatory body rules in favour of maintaining four active
operators in the country.
Corpco to be created in April
Portugal Telecom and Brazilians Oi are set to merge towards the
end of April. The new company will be called Corpco and will be
listed in Brazil, Portugal and New York.
Corpco will reach out to more than 100 million customers between
Europe and Latin America and its revenue will reach around US$19
billion.
Chilean 700MHz tender delayed
The Chilean competition watchdog (TDLC) is currently deciding
whether the process for the 700MHz spectrum auction allows for free
and open competition and, as a result, the auction is being
delayed.
The rollout requirements are said to be so demanding as to imply
the need that carrier that secures the license have a dominant
position in
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the market. Among the requirements, winning companies must
provide broadband coverage in over 1,200 remote areas across the
country.
Entels annual results and 4G timetable
A combined +6% in revenue from its domestic mobile services and
+23% from the data and IT offerings have contributed to a 17%
increase in revenue for Q4 2013 for Chilean Entel Group.Entel
acquired Nextel del Peru last year and has since registered new
revenues up to CLP 34 billion, while its additional Peruvian
business, Americatel, focused on enterprise wholesale, has reported
+22% increase in revenue to CLP 5.8 billion.
With decreasing EBITDA at CLP 107.4 billion for Q4 2013 - down
5% compared to 2012 - Entel still takes advantage from a reduction
in depreciation costs and a relative increase in operating income
(EBIT) to to CLP49.2 billion (+46%).
Entel also registered a 2% increase in mobile subscription to
over 9 million and ARPU went from CLP 9,200 in Q4 2012 to CLP9,500
in Q4 2013.
At the same time, Entels General Manager, Antonio Buchi, has
confirmed the companys plans to launch its 4G LTE services in
March. Mr Buchi has declared that the company is working on the
2014 plans for the newly acquired Nextel del Peru, which would
include a change of name and rebranding campaign
BrazilPortugal
Peru Chile
Chile
Tower Xchange
Participate in the TowerXchange
community
Join the TowerXchange LinkedIn group at
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Investors & advisers
Decision makers
at operators
Independenttowercos
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Equipment & managed
services
Regulators & policy makers
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HIGH STANDARDSOLUTIONS - FOR YOUR TOP PERFORMANCE
www.leadcom-is.com
-
2014: a year of major events for the LatAm tower industryFrom
the Brazilian World Cup to TowerXchange Meetup Americas - an
exciting ten months ahead
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What can the telecom tower industry expect from this new year?
2014 has just started but expectations are already high for yet
another intense year for the Latin American telecom tower industry.
2013 closed with a few relevant news such as the acquisition from
SBA of over 2000 towers from Brazilian carrier Oi, ANATEL ruling
against Telefonica holding TIM Brasils stake while Telecom Italia
kept denying any rumour regarding its sale of the Brazilian company
and the announced Mexican secondary telecom reforms being postponed
until Q1 2014.
We are now looking at how the market has been evolving in the
past two months while updating on recent news regarding the LatAm
tower industry.
Finally, were also pleased to unveil the first TowerXchange
independent tower count for Latin America!
A few events are dominating diaries, with the Brazilian World
Cup high up on the agenda of telecom companies involved in swiftly
upgrading capacity to cope with thousands of visitors and an
exponential growth in data traffic during the sport event of the
year in June. At the same time, TowerXchange take a close look at
Mexico and its constitutional reform and potential positive impact
on the competitiveness of the local telecom industry. The expansion
of Entel in Peru thanks to the acquisition of Nextel from NII
Holdings is another interesting move and we will pay attention when
the company releases its Peruvian plans later this year.
Another event to mark on your agenda is the TowerXchange Meetup
Americas 2014. We are very proud to announce that the LatAm tower
industry will gather from 20-22 May in Orlando, Florida, to host
TowerXchanges first Meetup for the region. So set aside some time
in your diary for the most interactive and targeted event of the
year, an invitation-only gathering of the top 200 decision makers
in the Latin American telecom tower industry.
In addition to our closed door, exclusive Meetup, we offer our
participants the unique occasion to
Read this article to learn:< TowerXchange Meetup Americas
2014 announced< How the Mexican telecom industry could change
thanks to the constitutional reform< An exciting year for the
Brazilian telecom sector< Entels expansion into Peru < From
2011 to 2013: the exponential growth of the regional tower industry
in numbers< The first Latin American tower count
Keywords: TowerXchange, Meetup Americas, Brazil, World Cup,
Mexico, Entel, Peru, Chile, Nextel, NII Holdings, PCIA, Wireless
Infrastructure Show, Colombia, Central America, South America,
Editorial, Market Overview, Tower Count, Telcel, Consolidation,
Het-NetArianna Neri, Head of Americas, TowerXchange
-
join PCIA Wireless Infrastructure Show, which will be taking
place simultaneously. The PCIA Wireless Infrastructure Show
attracts over 2,000 attendees, including senior representations
from North American towercos and investors. This co-location is a
great opportunity to offer TowerXchange attendees three days of
focused, intense LatAm networking while also exposing them to key
suppliers and lessons learned in the highly mature and profitable
North American tower industry.
Tracking the growth of the independent tower sector in Latin
America
In 2011, approximately 7,287 towers were sold in the region with
key transactions taking place in Brazil, Mexico, Colombia and in
Central America.
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An interesting year for the regional industry mostly thanks to
Telefonica actively divesting its portfolios across the region in
continuation with the previous year.
2012 followed a very similar pattern with 6,378 towers divested.
However, only 958 of them were sold outside of Brazil, with the
remaining 5,420 Brazilian tower sales consisting of medium scale
transactions of 800-1,900 towers each.
In 2013 the number of towers being sold reached double digits
for the first time - with an astonishing 14,035 total towers
divested, more than double the previous year. Again, Brazil ruled
the way with 12,369 towers being sold and the remaining 1,666 in
Mexico.
We are left wondering if 2014 is able to follow the same growing
pattern and offer yet another eventful year for the industry. We
expect that over the next few months we will talk more about
consolidation and partnerships among carriers, network deployment
and Het-Net in Brazil, in preparation for the World Cup. Other
countries will keep pushing forward to adapt their industry model
to the growing demand for innovation, and we predict tower
companies being well placed to help. But the biggest wild card is
represented by Mexico, its reform, and the potential for increased
competition - see our Mexico case study for expert analysis.
While TowerXchange keep a close eye on the development of the
LatAm industry, we are offering our readers a first snapshot of the
regional tower count. We will keep updating this chart with new
transactions in order to provide a comprehensive perspective on the
tower portfolios of each independent towerco in the region.
This analysis is generated through consultation with the
towercos, review of transaction coverage, quarterly reports and
annual results. Different towercos count towers differently - for
example, some include sites for which permits have been obtained
but where no tower has yet been built, others do not. As such, this
table should be treated as our best estimate. If your company owns
or operates independent telecom towers in Latin America, I would be
delighted to hear from you and to add your towers to the count
Estimated number of towers owned or managed by towercos in Latin
AmericaSource: TowerXchange research, quarterly filings, site
lists
Columbia
Chile
Peru
Panama
Costa Rica
Nicaragua
Guatemala
Mexico
El Salvador
BrazilAmerican Tower
5,0000 10,000 15,000 20,000
SBA Communications
Grupo Torresur
BR Towers
Torres Unidas
IIMT
T4U
Mexico Tower Partners
CSS
7,200
5,151
6,094
4,000
3,429 6,824
1,153
180
180
600
500
400
480 417 250 471 139
350
Contact me at: [email protected].
-
TowerXchange facilitates an open dialogue and shares knowledge
between key stakeholders involved in the transformation of the
Latin American telecom tower industry. With carriers actively
involved in upgrading their network to meet growing demand for
capacity and tower companies ever-increasing appetite to acquire
towers, the industry needs information, transparency and
clarity.
The TowerXchange community unlocks priceless insights enabling
you to evaluate opportunities across Latin America for your
business, through exclusive interviews, original research and live
events.
A unique, invitation-only gathering of the top 200 decision
makers in the Latin American tower industry
Meetup Americas 2014May 20-22, Rosen Shingle Creek, Orlando,
Florida
Co-located with the PCIA Wireless Infrastructure Show
Register online at http://www.towerxchange.com/apply-to-attend.
Questions? Call Annabelle on +44 7423 512588
Bronze Sponsor:Silver Sponsor:Gold Sponsor: Co-located with:
Media Partners:Association Partner:
Created and hosted by:
Featuring a roundtable and a panel on African towers
Tower Xchange
-
12:20 Networking lunch
1:40 Second structured networking roundtable
< The regulation of the tower industry< How to structure a
tower transaction to meet your needs
< Build to suit opportunities in major metropolitan areas
< The investibility of the Latin American telecom tower
industry
< The impact of LTE on cell site densification
3:00 Afternoon coffee and networking
3:20 Strategic partners panel part I: the
importance of partner selection for ROI
optimisation and opex reduction
3:40 Investors keynote panel
4:40 Closing remarks from day one
5:00 Close of day one
TowerXchange Meetup AmericasOrlando, Florida | 20-22 May
2014
www.towerxchange.com | TowerXchange Issue 7 | 17| TowerXchange
Issue 7 | www.towerxchange.com17
Draft ProgrammeDay One
From 8:00 Registration and coffee
9:00 Welcome and opening remarks
9:10 The status of the Central and South
American tower industry and forecasts for the
mid-term
9:40 Mobile network operator tower decision
makers panel
10:40 Morning coffee and networking
11:00 First structured networking roundtable:
< Country focus: Brazil< Country focus: Mexico <
Country focus: Peru< Country focus: Chile< Country focus:
Colombia< Regional focus: Central America< Regional focus:
Caribbean< Regional focus: Africa
Jonathan Atkin, Managing Director, RBC Capital MarketsKurt
Bagwell, President - International, SBA CommunicationsBill Bates,
Vice President - Business Development, SBA CommunicationsPat Casey,
Group Human Resources Director, DigicelMarco Cordoni, Senior
Partner, Analysys MasonJim Eisenstein, Chairman & CEO, Grupo
TorreSurMarc Ganzi, President, Digital Bridge Holdings and Mexico
Tower PartnersEdgar Geidans, Group CTO, Trilogy
InternationalMauricio Giusti, CEO, BR TowersChuck Green, CEO,
Helios Towers AfricaMark Johnson, Managing Director, The Carlyle
GroupPhil Kelley, SVP Corporate Development, Crown CastleDan Lee,
Managing Director, Intrepid Advisory PartnersRyan Lepene, Managing
Director, Peppertree CapitalArianna Neri, Head of Americas,
TowerXchangeKieron Osmotherly, Founder & CEO, TowerXchangeDavid
Porte, Vice President - International, SBA CommunicationsWilliam
Ritchey, President, IIMTAlex Sepehri-Nik, President, Brazil Tower
CompanyTodd Schlekeway, Executive Director, National Association of
Tower Erectors (NATE)Daniel Seiner, CEO, Torres UnidasNina
Triantis, Managing Director, Global, Head of Telecoms & Media,
Standard Bank
Confirmed Speakers include:
-
www.towerxchange.com | TowerXchange Issue 7 | 18| TowerXchange
Issue 7 | www.towerxchange.com18
2:50 Afternoon coffee and networking
3:10 Fourth structured networking round tableRepeat of most
popular roundtable topics
4:30 Summary and closing remarks from day two
9:00 An analysis of the telecom tower industry in Latin America:
from international towercos making portfolio acquisitions to local
build to suit ventures
9:30 Third structured networking roundtable:< How to survey,
evaluate and upgrade towers for multiple tenants< How towercos
achieve SLAs< How to raise capital for tower transactions<
Opportunities for towercos to expand beyond the macro network into
DAS and small cells< Health and Safety principles in the tower
industry
10:50 Morning coffee and networking
11:10 Strategic partners panel part II: the importance of
partner selection for ROI optimisation and opex reduction
11:30 Towerco keynote panel
12:30 Networking lunch
1:30 International focus: Africa keynote panel
2:30 Strategic partners panel part III: the importance of
partner selection for ROI optimisation and opex reduction
Day Two Draft Programme
TowerXchange Meetup AmericasOrlando, Florida | 20-22 May
2014
Expert-led, small group interactive workshops provide practical,
actionable advice
< The impact of 4G on cell site densification in Latin
America< How to raise capital and structure tower transactions
in Latin America< How to conduct financial, commercial and
structural due diligence on towers
TowerXchange workshops run from 10am through 4pm on May 22 and
include refreshments and a networking lunch.
Day Three - Post Meetup Workshops
-
TowerXchanges unique structured networking round tables
200 Director, VP and C-level Decision makers broken down as
follows:
Mobile Network Operators
Towercos
Investors and Investment Management Advisors
Lawyers and Strategic Consultants
Energy Equipment Providers
OEMs & Managed Service Providers
Static Assets, Access Control & Monitoring and
Management
TowerXchange roundtables bring together 8-10 representatives
of different segments of the tower industry ecosystem,
brought
together by a common geographical focus or hot topic. There
are 3 roundtable sessions at the Meetup, each new roundtable
reshuffles the decision maker-level participants at your table
so
you will meet several different prospective partners.
| TowerXchange Issue 7 | www.towerxchange.com19
www.towerxchange.com | TowerXchange Issue 7 | 19
-
Meetup Americas Exhibition
Companies involved in the regional telecom tower industry have a
unique opportunity to be part of the most focused regional
gathering of the year and exhibit in the TowerXchange Latin
American pavilion, placed at the very heart of PCIAs exhibition
hall where 100+ international companies will showcase their
solutions to the largest, most qualified and concentrated audience
of tower industry decision makers in the world.
Discuss your requirements today and find out all the available
options for your participation by contacting Annabelle Mayhew at
[email protected] or via phone at +44 (0) 7423 512 588.
Contact us today to sponsor or exhibit at the TowerXchange
Meetup Americas 2014.
| TowerXchange Issue 7 | www.towerxchange.com20
www.towerxchange.com | TowerXchange Issue 7 | 20
TowerXchange Pavillion
331131
129
127
228
KeeganWireless230
Food & Drinks
Overhead DoorOverhead
Door
ConnectionsCafe
Small Cell PavillionElectro
-Wire623
CommScope520
Slatercom421
AmiritTechnologies
423
TEConnectivity
520/620
Huada621
Product Showcase
Ericsson 20x20
20x2020x20
C D
A B
CS
-S S
ervi
ce D
esk
Food & Drinks
Food & Drinks
226
C SquaredSystems322CLCLodging320
Galtronics221/223
130
128
126
124
122
120
118
116
114
112
110
108
106
104
102
100
430
329 428
327 426
431 530
429 528
427 526
531 630
529 628
527 626
731
729
727
725
723
721
717
715
NATE713
711
709
707
705
703
701
129
127
228
226
105
103
101
KGP202/204
Unimar200
11 11 11 11 11 11 11
20
GMESupply
205
MosaikSolutions
203
AFL201
MaxCell304
SBA
Com
mu
nic
taio
ns
Hughey &Phillips302
CDMI300 401
Fibrebond405
ValmontSite Pro 1
403
ValmontStructures
401
MaxCell304
Hughey &Phillips302
CDMI300
Terracon505
NelloCorp.
503
Deltanode501
SabreIndustries604
Graybar602
3ZTelecom600
ITL, LLC605
Skyhawk601
704
603Accruent700/702
117
115
113
214
Eastpointe216
212
TUFTUG217
Lattice213
Amphenol316/314
TestEquity211
EhresmannEngineering
209tarantula308
Trans-American308
111
109
210
CellphoneMate208
722622523323Wideband
Antennas422/420
Shive-Hattery
321
522
720
TWRLighting
615
716617
714BB&T
Atlantic Risk515
TP Electric616
DynamicEnviromental
517
EMSS614
Oldcastle609
710PCTEL611
OTL Solution708
Henkles & McCoy610
FidelityNational
511
TectonicTelecom509/508
631
529
527
228
228
226
ENTRANCE ENTRANCE
TowerXchange Pavillion
331131
129
127
228
KeeganWireless230
Food & Drinks
Overhead DoorOverhead
Door
ConnectionsCafe
Small Cell PavillionElectro
-Wire623
CommScope520
Slatercom421
AmiritTechnologies
423
TEConnectivity
520/620
Huada621
Product Showcase
Ericsson 20x20
20x2020x20
C D
A B
CS
-S S
ervi
ce D
esk
Food & Drinks
Food & Drinks
226
C SquaredSystems322CLCLodging320
Galtronics221/223
130
128
126
124
122
120
118
116
114
112
110
108
106
104
102
100
430Azeti
KARAM
MerTelecom
Metalogalva
AIOSystems
HMSIndustrialNetworks
GangesInt.
ACSYS
Telemisis329 428
327 426
431 530
429 528
427 526
531630
529 628
527 626
731
729
727
725
723
721
717
715
NATE713
711
709
707
705
703
701
129
127
228
226
105
103
101
KGP202/204
Unimar200
11 11 11 11 11 11 11
20
GMESupply
205
MosaikSolutions
203
AFL201
MaxCell304
SBA
Com
mu
nic
taio
ns
Hughey &Phillips302
CDMI300 401
Fibrebond405
ValmontSite Pro 1
403
ValmontStructures
401
MaxCell304
Hughey &Phillips302
CDMI300
Terracon505
NelloCorp.
503
Deltanode501
SabreIndustries604
Graybar602
3ZTelecom600
ITL, LLC605
Skyhawk601
704
603Accruent700/702
117
115
113
214
Eastpointe216
212
TUFTUG217
Lattice213
Amphenol316/314
TestEquity211
EhresmannEngineering
209tarantula308
Trans-American308
111
109
210
CellphoneMate208
722622523323Wideband
Antennas422/420
Shive-Hattery
321
522
720
TWRLighting
615
716617
714BB&T
Atlantic Risk515
TP Electric616
DynamicEnviromental
517
EMSS614
Oldcastle609
710PCTEL611
OTL Solution708
Henkles & McCoy610
FidelityNational
511
TectonicTelecom509/508
631
529
527
228
228
226
ENTRANCE ENTRANCE
-
www.towerxchange.com | TowerXchange Issue 7 | 21
Tower Industry Value Chain
Backhaul, FTTT, Core Network Active equipment
Tier 1 OEMs
Mobile Network Operators
Investors: private equity, debt finance, infrastructure
funds
Law firms
Group level strategistsC-suite & network planners at local
OpCos
Outsourceto
Strategic consultancyDue diligenceDemand forecastsValuations
Independent TowercosSell co-locationsUpgrade
capacityBuild-to-suitMaximise uptimeReduce opexInvest in
network
Transfer assets to
Construction servicesTurnkey infrastructure rolloutManufacture
of steelworkImport, customs & deliveryLeasing &
permittingInstallation of towersUpgrades for capacityO&M
services
Dynamic assets
Energy equipmentDiesel gensetSolarWindFuel cell
BatteriesRectifiersInvertersLine conditioningPIUs
Air conditioning Lightning protectionControllerVoltage
regulator
Managed service providers
ESCOs
Static assetsTowers &
mastsSheltersBracketsEnclosuresLightingFencing
O&M servicesMaintenanceStaffingSpare partsVMI?Refueling
Energy as a service
Monitoring & managementRMSIntelligence/analysisSite
managementJob ticketingAsset lifecycle platform
Access control
Subcontract
MicrogenerationCommunity power
Subcontract or in-house
Outsourceto
Som
e be
com
e to
wer
co
Investment management advisors
TowerXchange serves the Latin American tower community along two
intersecting axes. On a horizontal axis we facilitate relationships
between MNOs, towercos, investors and their advisers, aiding the
structuring of deals and the transfer of assets. On a vertical
axis, we examine the impact on, and opportunities for, the passive
infrastructure supply chain, whether they sell to MNOs, towercos or
through OEMs.
How TowerXchange ensure an audience of decision makers
TowerXchange successfully launched its first live event for the
emerging market telecom tower industry in 2013. Since then, we have
gained a strong reputation for delivering a high quality,
meaningful platform for our selected audience of tower
professionals.
The TowerXchange Meetup is exclusively for Director, VP and
C-level decision makers. If registrants are substituted, we will
only accept replacement registrants of equal or greater seniority
than those pre-approved.
Through our passive infrastructure focused journal publication
and research, TowerXchange have cultivated relationships with 4200
(at time of press) decision makers active in the Latin American
tower industry, 85% of whom are at Director, VP or C-level.
By co-locating our event with the highly successful North
American PCIAs 2014 Wireless Infrastructure Show, we will offer our
audience a unique chance of exposure to the most mature tower
industry in the world and its poll of top telecom
professionals.
Who will you meet
| TowerXchange Issue 7 | www.towerxchange.com21
-
28 guaranteed, qualified introductionsHow to advice from proven
practitioners
Your trusted community host and commentator
Dedicated to passive infrastructureDecision makers only An aid
to shortlisting / receiving RFPs
4 structured networking sessions assemble participants in groups
of 8, brought together by a common regional or topic matter
interest, and arranged so each group includes 2 MNOs, a towerco,
investor, advisor, OEM or managed service provider, energy
equipment and a static asset or RMS manufacturer
The main TowerXchange Meetup is supplemented by how to
workshops, tackling topics from how to structure a tower
transaction to the implications of 4G, while the business leaders
from MNOs, towercos and investors will debate hot topics in
unmissable panel discussions
The TowerXchange Meetup draws on the credibility, original
research and comprehensive relationships with Latin American
telecoms infrastructure decision makers who read our renowned
journal
While other events increasingly focus on devices and VAS,
TowerXchange maintains a laser-beam focus on passive
infrastructure
Access to the TowerXchange Meetup is by invitation-only. Our 200
attendees are vetted for decision making authority (Director, VP
and C-level only), and the ratio of buyers to sellers is carefully
managed
Strategic Partners Panels: dynamic panel sessions offering an
opportunity to key solution providers and king buyers to interact.
A unique way to accelerate partner selection due diligence and
shortlist RFP recipients
What makes TowerXchange Meetups uniqueJoin the TowerXchange
community at our exclusive executive retreat in Orlando where our
unique, networking-driven unconference will facilitate tower
transaction deal-making, accelerate buyers partner selection due
diligence, and provide passive infrastructure equipment and service
providers with dozens of highly qualified new prospects.
| TowerXchange Issue 7 | www.towerxchange.com22
www.towerxchange.com | TowerXchange Issue 7 | 22
-
Respecting confidentiality yet revealing whats really going
on
Enjoy networking with 200 VIPs
Tower transactions are highly confidential, so the TowerXchange
Meetup is held under Chatham House Rule and our unique roundtables,
private meeting space and informal receptions will enable you to
discreetly discuss and advance strategic partnerships
Thanks to the co-location with US PCIA, our Meetup will be
hosted at the Rosen Shingle Creek in Orlando, Florida. Our ideal
location is just a short distance to a variety of Orlandos best
attractions, restaurants, shopping and entertainment venues and
will be the perfect address for three days of intensive learning
and networking.
The must-attend event for tower industry decision
makersAttending, exhibiting or sponsoring our Meetup Americas
represents a unique opportunity to be exposed and interact with the
entire value chain of Latin American tower professionals in
addition to key professionals from the leading North American tower
market.
Our attendees will enjoy three days of knowledge sharing thanks
to our closed-door, highly interactive Meetup format, which will
focus purely on the Latin American tower industry. At the same
time, our audience can experience the advantages of meeting and
gathering with over 2000 attendees joining the Wireless
Infrastructure Show from all over the world in the networking and
exhibition areas.
For our exhibitors, all booths are created equal at TowerXchange
you wont be swallowed up into the shadow of the huge exhibits of
deep-pocketed big brands at TowerXchange everyone gets the same
size turnkey booth, which means vendors are shortlisted to receive
RFPs purely on the basis of their ability to
TowerXchange Passive
Infrastructure footprint
Futurecom:5% passive infrastructure
Mobile World Congress: 1% passive infrastructure
Devices & VAS footprint
Mobile World Congress footprint
Futurecom footprint
TowerXchange: 100% passive infrastructure
www.towerxchange.com | TowerXchange Issue 7 | 23
meet buyer requirements. The TowerXchange Meetup has been
designed to incur low logistics costs theres no need to ship
anything to the event all the materials you will need will fit in
the hold of the plane you fly in on.
Futurecom and Mobile World Congress are great events for general
networking, but they increasingly focus on devices and VAS, not
towers and passive infrastructure. The TowerXchange Meetup is 100%
devoted to passive infrastructure. Its 100% decision maker level:
only Director, VP and C-level are permitted to attend. And our
ratio of buyers to sellers is carefully controlled.
| TowerXchange Issue 7 | www.towerxchange.com23
-
TowerXchange Pavillion
331131
129
127
228
KeeganWireless230
Food & Drinks
Overhead DoorOverhead
Door
ConnectionsCafe
Small Cell PavillionElectro
-Wire623
CommScope520
Slatercom421
AmiritTechnologies
423
TEConnectivity
520/620
Huada621
Product Showcase
Ericsson 20x20
20x2020x20
C D
A B
CS
-S S
ervi
ce D
esk
Food & Drinks
Food & Drinks
226
C SquaredSystems322CLCLodging320
Galtronics221/223
130
128
126
124
122
120
118
116
114
112
110
108
106
104
102
100
430
329 428
327 426
431 530
429 528
427 526
531 630
529 628
527 626
731
729
727
725
723
721
717
715
NATE713
711
709
707
705
703
701
129
127
228
226
105
103
101
KGP202/204
Unimar200
11 11 11 11 11 11 11
20
GMESupply
205
MosaikSolutions
203
AFL201
MaxCell304
SBA
Com
mu
nic
taio
ns
Hughey &Phillips302
CDMI300 401
Fibrebond405
ValmontSite Pro 1
403
ValmontStructures
401
MaxCell304
Hughey &Phillips302
CDMI300
Terracon505
NelloCorp.
503
Deltanode501
SabreIndustries604
Graybar602
3ZTelecom600
ITL, LLC605
Skyhawk601
704
603Accruent700/702
117
115
113
214
Eastpointe216
212
TUFTUG217
Lattice213
Amphenol316/314
TestEquity211
EhresmannEngineering
209tarantula308
Trans-American308
111
109
210
CellphoneMate208
722622523323Wideband
Antennas422/420
Shive-Hattery
321
522
720
TWRLighting
615
716617
714BB&T
Atlantic Risk515
TP Electric616
DynamicEnviromental
517
EMSS614
Oldcastle609
710PCTEL611
OTL Solution708
Henkles & McCoy610
FidelityNational
511
TectonicTelecom509/508
631
529
527
228
228
226
ENTRANCE ENTRANCE
TowerXchange have co-located our Latin American Meetup with the
premier national event for mobile network solutions-produced for
the industry, by the industry; The Wireless Infrastructure Show,
organised by the PCIA.
Your registration for the TowerXchange Meetup Americas includes
a full access pass to The Wireless Infrastructure Show, which
means
that throughout the event you can choose to attend sessions in
the TowerXchange Meetup or you can visit The Wireless
Infrastructure Show opening reception, general and tracked sessions
and keynotes.
The Wireless Infrastructure Show attracts more than 2,000
thought leaders and industry innovators from across the
wireless
infrastructure ecosystem. Network within the primary forum for
infrastructure owners and operators, carriers, investment community
representatives, government officials, equipment manufacturers and
service providers, and other integrally involved in shaping the
future of the industry. This market defining Show features over 35
lectures, panels, round-tables, and special events on a
comprehensive selection of industry topics taught by leading
industry experts.
The TowerXchange Pavilion is located on The Wireless
Infrastructure Show exhibition floor, so you have access not just
to our 18 Latin America-focused exhibitors, but over 100 exhibitors
showcasing all of the most relevant infrastructure development
tools, platforms and services helping to drive the industry forward
across North, Central and South America!
www.towerxchange.com | TowerXchange Issue 7 | 24| TowerXchange
Issue 7 | www.towerxchange.com24
PCIA Wireless Infrastructure Show
Your TowerXchange Meetup Americas registration includes a full
access pass to the co-located PCIA Wireless Infrastructure
Show!
Job functions at The Wireless Infrastructure Show: Industry
composition at The Wireless Infrastructure Show:
C-Level
Engineering/Technical Operations
Investor/Financial Analyst
Business Development
Infrastructure Providers
Carriers
Professional Services
Consultant
Legal
IT
Financial
Other
28%
17%
8%
30%
10%
4%3%
40%
20%
20%
10%
10%
-
Our sponsors
www.towerxchange.com | TowerXchange Issue 7 | 25| TowerXchange
Issue 7 | www.towerxchange.com25
Site One
SiteOne, developed by azeti in collaboration with NeXsysOne, is
the most comprehensive solution to monitor and manage remote Sites.
The 360 approach enables businesses to centralize the management of
traditional IP-based systems with operational processes, creating a
unique and centralized platform to improve the operational
efficiency, reduce OPEX costs and consolidate multiple technologies
in a single interface. With state-of-the-art appliances made in
Germany and software designed by experienced telecom and network
engineers, operators will be able to remotely manage the most
extensive number of components and devices than any other solution
could offer, like Environmental Control parameters (temperature,
humidity, power consumption etc.), Security (video surveillance,
theft detection for fuel, assets and other elements etc.), Access
Management (access via camera, pin-pad solutions etc.) and Passive
Monitoring (battery and rectifier monitoring, fuel status, energy
logging etc.). SiteOne. Site Management. Made Intelligent.
www.azeti.net www.nexsysone.com
Acsys
Acsys is a global leader in tower access control solutions. Our
patented, military-grade solutions based on our unique,
programmable locks and keys facilitate intelligent access control
while avoiding the bottlenecks associated with wired systems,
including lengthy and expensive installation, maintenance, external
power dependency, etc.
European-rooted, with an innovative team from around the globe,
and the benefits of China-based production, Acsys stays at the
forefront in designing cutting-edge security and staff management
solutions at a competitive price. World unique solutions like our
Code Generating System are changing the face of tower access and
are utilized by many of the industrys biggest names.
www.acsys.com
Silver Sponsor:Gold Sponsor:
-
Our sponsors
www.towerxchange.com | TowerXchange Issue 7 | 26| TowerXchange
Issue 7 | www.towerxchange.com26
AIO Systems
AIO Systems is a solution provider of next generation of remote
management, monitoring and control systems for critical unmanned
sites. Offering customized infrastructure management solutions,
AIOs products are designed for telecom, power and water utilities,
Oil & Gas industry, and others.
AIOs total site efficiency solution offer ~34% OPEX reduction to
telecom tower operators by reducing power and diesel consumption,
preventing theft and loss of fuel and equipment, and allowing them
to manage every asset and every tenant individually.
Our unique controllers and peripheral devices allow for a fully
integrated remote site security, which includes site surveillance
and access control, perimeter security, CCTV, active security
elements and more.
AIO Systems manages a modular configuration fit for the clients
needs, in full automation, and providing timely alerts via a
variety of communication channels.
HMS Industrial Networks
HMS Industrial Networks is the leading independent supplier of
products for industrial communication and remote management.
Products are marketed under the brands Anybus, IXXAT and Netbiter.
Headquartered in Halmstad, Sweden, HMS is represented by branch
offices in 10 countries plus distributors in more than 50. HMS
employs over 350 people and reported sales of 60+ million EUR
2013.
Telco site support equipment has become smart, which offers the
opportunity to have full remote control of all support equipment on
Radio and Core sites and benefit from reducing the OPEX without
major investments. With the Netbiter concept we have developed a
vendor independent solution that fits into all kind of systems and
takes care of all hassles with different communication protocols,
different sizes of diesel tanks, tampering etc.
Bronze Sponsor:Bronze Sponsor:
Mer Group Telecom Division
Mer Group Telecom Division provides end-to-end Wireless
Infrastructure Turnkey Solutions from network planning, site design
and provision of towers, to site construction, equipment
installation, network optimization and maintenance. Combining cost
effectiveness, short lead times and advanced engineering
techniques, we are strongly committed to client satisfaction. With
a highly developed logistics chain, advanced tower manufacturing
facilities and an extensive network of warehouses, our solutions
are flexible and scalable, providing measurable benefits for
customers. Our strong presence in Latin America enables us to
leverage the combined in-depth regional knowledge of local partners
with our industry acknowledged engineering expertise for our
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The division leverages its proven global track record,
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deliver technologically innovative and best-of-breed solutions
including M2M enablement and vertical market applications, mobile
financial services, cloud billing, MVNO enablement, as well as
on/off board and remote/contactless payment solutions for public
transport operators.
www.mer-group.com/solutions/wireless-infrastructure
Bronze Sponsor:
www.aiosystems.com www.hms.se
-
Our exhibitors
www.towerxchange.com | TowerXchange Issue 7 | 27| TowerXchange
Issue 7 | www.towerxchange.com27
Telemisis
Telemisis manufactures the SitePro system for remote monitoring
and automation solution for all business sectors; our
specialisation being mobile operators and tower owners. We have
delivered full site management systems, including power
optimisation, fuel management, electricity metering, environmental
management and machine/equipment control in harsh and demanding
locations since 2000.
Telemisis manufactures the industrys smallest, most flexible and
cost-effective remote telemetry node SiteNode. SiteNode units
provide interfacing and data collection capabilities from a wide
range of standard devices and sensors that may already be deployed
or will be added. Coupled with Telemisis back-end server systems we
offer standard or bespoke solutions.
www.telemisis.com/products
Metalogalva
TELECOM TOWERS MANUFACTURER
Quality products at fair prices. Company
with 42 years experience. Young and flexible
team. 400 employees; 30 engineers. 100 000
tons galvanizing capacity (year). 14 welding
and plasma robots. 6.6M Investment on new
equipments.
Qualifications:
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MTN announces sale of 1,228 towers to IHS in Rwanda and
Zambia
www.towerxchange.com | TowerXchange Issue 7 | 30| TowerXchange
Issue 7 | www.towerxchange.com30
MTN Group Limited announced that it has agreed to sell its tower
portfolios in Rwanda and Zambia to IHS. MTN will sell a total of
1,228 mobile network towers to IHSs subsidiaries in Rwanda and
Zambia, comprised of 524 and 704 towers respectively, for
undisclosed amounts. The sale of the towers is in line with MTNs
asset optimisation strategy which is encompassed in
Initial anchor tenancy term is ten years, BTS programme included
- IHS now operates 10,500 towers in Africa
MTNs new strategic framework and builds on two previous deals
with IHS in Cameroon and Ct dIvoire, for a total of 1,758 towers.
In addition to unlocking value in our passive infrastructure, we
remain cognizant of the need to contain and efficiently manage our
cost structures across the Group as our markets mature and become
more competitive. We are confident these transactions are a
positive step towards freeing up management time to focus on
products and services, thereby fulfilling our mission of making our
customers lives a whole lot brighter said Sifiso Dabengwa, Group
President and CEO of MTN Group. Mr. Dabengwa added, MTN is pleased
to be broadening our partnership with IHS, a leading tower operator
with proven expertise across Africa, to our operations in Rwanda
and Zambia. Issam Darwish, Group CEO of IHS commented: We are
delighted to be extending our relationship with MTN in Rwanda and
Zambia. These latest deals are testament to our commitment to
client service, enabling the most efficient, effective and reliable
networks for our clients. Our strong and trusted relationship with
MTN is important to us and we remain committed to reinforcing their
focus on customer service excellence.
Under the agreements, IHS will acquire and operate the towers
and related passive infrastructure and will invest in a
build-to-suit program to support MTNs future requirements in both
countries. MTN Rwanda and MTN Zambia will become the respective
anchor tenants on the towers for an initial term of ten years. The
transactions bring the total number of towers in IHSs portfolio to
10,500 extending its leadership in the African market. IHS will
market services on the towers in Rwanda and Zambia, promoting tower
sharing and colocation to help drive network improvements, better
service to subscribers and economic growth. Each transaction is
expected to close independently during the first half of 2014,
subject to customary closing conditions. TowerXchanges analysis of
IHSs latest deal with MTNSecuring MTNs towers in Rwanda and Zambia
continues Issam Darwish and IHSs record of bidding aggressively and
winning deals against Africas other Big Four towercos. This is the
second time IHS has partnered with Africas leading operator, having
acquired MTNs 1,758 towers in Cameroon and Cote dIvoire for
US$284mn in late 2012. Its difficult to assess a tower deal without
knowing the acquisition price and lease rate, but the Rwandan and
Zambian markets are certainly attractive.With MTNs tower assets in
South Africa apparently off the table, at least for now, the 1,228
towers they
Issam Darwish, Group CEO, IHS
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Issue 7 | www.towerxchange.com31
January 2014, starting with selected locations in Lusaka, Kitwe,
Ndola and Livingstone, with additional locations to follow is the
second stage of deployment. When an independent towerco enters a
new country, they often secure substantial BTS opportunities,
although the scale of such opportunities in Zambia and Rwanda has
not yet been confirmed by IHS. IHS reaches scaleThis latest
transaction brings IHSs tower count beyond the 10,000 tower magic
number, which many analysts figure to represent scale for the
independent towerco business model. IHS now has a total of
approximately 10,500 towers in Africa (5,750 owned, 4,750 managed),
making IHS Africas largest towerco. In addition to Rwanda and
Zambia, IHS also has towers in Nigeria, Cote dIvoire, Cameroon,
Sudan and South Sudan. IHS is unlikely to rest on its laurels. The
towerco has raised over US$1bn in capital to date from investors
such as the IFC, Wendel, ECP, FMO, Investec and one of Asias
premier sovereign wealth funds, and is expected to continue to be
an aggressive bidder for the further 38,500 African towers are
believed to be currently on the market. Recommended further
reading: BMIs view of the tower market in Rwanda and Zambia (page
19, issue 5), and How IHS creates shared value (page 30, issue 3)
published exclusively in the TowerXchange Journal
have sold in Rwanda and Zambia were considered one of the most
investible telecoms infrastructure assets in Africa. The two
countries have relatively low political risk, and have solid GDP
growth in the 7-8.5% range. Potential for further tower deals in
RwandaMTN is the market leading operator in Rwanda, with 56.1%
market share in June 2012 (Source: BMI, RURA, Operators). Almost as
important as the strength of IHSs anchor tenant is the credit
worthiness of Rwandas other licensed operators and prospective
tenants, Tigo and Airtel. IHSs last deal with MTN in Cameroon and
Cote dIvoire was followed not long after by the same towerco
securing Oranges towers (on a managed services deal), and IHS is
now well positioned to take a similarly dominant position in Rwanda
should additional towers come to market. There have been
unconfirmed rumours of Tigos interest in selling their towers in
Rwanda, while Airtel is believed to be selling all 15,000 of their
towers across Africa, including Rwanda. Independent towers could
ease capacity challenges in ZambiaZICTA reports that mobile
penetration in Zambia is at 78%. Airtel and MTN vie for market
leadership in Zambia. Cell Z, mobile arm of Zamtel and subject of a
legal dispute between the Zambian government and LAP Green
Networks, follow as the third ranked operator.
A fourth MNO license has been mooted for some time. The
availability of independent towers has accelerated new market
entrants in the past, as we saw with Africell leveraging Helios
Towers in the DRC, so the establishment of an independent tower
market in Zambia is likely to be good news for whichever operator
wins the fourth license. Earlier in 2013 the Zambian government
threatened the existing three operators with legal action due to
QoS problems, which points to the opportunity for IHS to help
operators ease capacity challenges. MTN launched Zambias first LTE
network in
Airtel MTN Zamtel
Source: ZICTA, Dec 2012
45%
39%
16%
-
2.5%
Africas multi-billion dollar wave of tower sales gains pace
TowerXchange is tracking almost 40,000 African towers at various
stages of progression toward sale or outsourcing to independent
towercos. With a pipeline of over US$3bn worth of assets coming to
market, and with the independent tower model increasingly proven in
Africa, a new class of investor that only wants to write
substantial cheques is being attracted to the market.
www.towerxchange.com | TowerXchange Issue 7 | 33| TowerXchange
Issue 7 | www.towerxchange.com33
18,000+ towers for sale in Nigeria This unprecedented wave of
African tower opportunities is headlined by the sale of 15,000
towers across 15 countries by Airtel, with Reuters reporting the
sale is most advanced in Nigeria, where TowerXchange sources also
suggest MTN Nigerias coveted portfolio of over 10,000 towers may be
back on the block. With Etisalat having hired Standard Bank to
secure a buyer for their Nigerian towers too, upwards of 80% of
Nigerias towers may be owned and operated by independent towercos
by the end of 2014 (currently around 13% of Nigerias towers are
independently owned). Nigeria may be the crown jewel of the African
telecom sector in terms of profitability, yet its a pretty rough
diamond when one considers the power and security challenges of
operating a Nigerian tower network. At the recent GSMA Green Power
for Mobile Working Group in Lagos, fuel security was a hot topic,
and it was reported that an average of five hours of power was
available
MTN may be joining the sale in Nigeria, update on the Airtel
transaction
per day at Nigerian cell sites, with only 60% of that usable due
to poor quality. Last year, the GSMA counted 12,560 of Nigerias
24,242 towers to be off grid, with another 10,645 on an unreliable
grid. Only 2-3% of Nigerian cell sites run 100% green power,
although around 40% are battery hybrids. The GSMA has identified
10,890 sites than have a business case to be converted to hybrid or
renewable power, which would require US$1bn of investment by 2015.
Theres plenty of room for growth in Nigeria, which already boasts
over 100mn subscribers, double digit growth year on year, 68.6%
mobile penetration (NCC, March 2013) and coverage greater than 80%.
However, QoS problems are common, and Nigeria is thought to need
another 50,000+ towers to optimise coverage and capacity. For more
contextual information on the Nigerian tower market, check out the
Nigeria case study in issue 4 of the TowerXchange Journal
Nigerian mobile operator market share, March 2013
Source: BMI, NCC, operators
43.9%
20.4%
20.3%
12.9%
MTN Airtel
Globalcom Etisalat
CDMA
Even more Africa towers on the market As if Nigeria and Airtel
werent enough to keep the analysts, advisors and lawyers busy,
there are still over 5,000 Orange OpCo towers coming to market in
Egypt, Senegal, Mali, Guinea Conakry and Guinea Bissau, and rumours
of potential further transactions involving Millicom, Zantel and
out of DRC and Burundi
-
www.towerxchange.com | TowerXchange Issue 7 | 34| TowerXchange
Issue 7 | www.towerxchange.com34
Airtel Africa map
Airtel are still not able to comment on the record about their
African tower sale, except to reiterate that sharing infrastructure
is a core strategy for the group, is seen as a critical means of
lowering costs in emerging markets, and has delivered operational
efficiency in India. TowerXchange sources suggest that Airtel have
accepted that its not feasible to sell all their African towers in
one tranche. IHS, Helios and Eaton are each believed to have their
own list of Airtel tower portfolios they want to acquire, while TMT
Finance report that American Tower has
dropped any interest in the Airtel Africa portfolio. Airtels
recent Q3 results revealed a fall in net profit from 10.11bn rupees
last year to 2.84bn rupees (around US$53mn). However, Airtel is
taking steps to turn around Africa operations, including hiring
Christian de Feria as CEO of Africa and increasing its customer
base by 21%. Airtel has improved their quarterly revenue run rate
by 39% and EBITDA run rate by 55% since it acquired Zains African
business, and the sale of Airtels African towers will deleverage
its balance sheet in Africa
Airtel Africa towers to be carved up among IHS, Helios and
Eaton
Tower People
Laurentius Human, a valued member of TowerXchanges Inner Circle
informal advisory board, has moved on from Inala to join Jabil as
Senior Director, Corporate Finance. Howard Earley, formerly COO of
Plessey, succeeds Laurentius as CEO of Inala, with Louw Cilliers
assuming operational responsibility for telecommunications. We
missed this appointment at the time: Georges Alain-Rubio was
appointed CEO of IHS Cote dIvoire late last year. Georges has
extensive Technical and Network Direction experience within the
Telcel/Zain/Airtel organisation, having served in senior positions
in Kenya, Tanzania, Madagascar and Gabon
-
www.towerxchange.com | TowerXchange Issue 7 | 35| TowerXchange
Issue 7 | www.towerxchange.com35
Sonatels 3,000 tower sale reportedly launched As reported in
TowerXchange for several months, Orange has an active mandate to
outsource Sonatels towers across Senegal (approximately 1,600
towers), Mali (1,000), Guinea (400) and Guinea-Bissau (85). TMT
Finance reports that a formal process has started under the
guidance of Lazard, who helped Orange sell their towers in Uganda
last year, and who are also reportedly advising on MobiNils sale of
2,500 towers in Egypt.
$100mn upgrade for Helios Towers DRC
Helios Towers Africa has secured a US$100mn loan facility for
the operation and upgrade, reactivation and expansion of their
tower network in the DRC. The US$100mn loan facility consists of a
commercial loan arranged by Standard Bank, development finance from
the German Investment and Development Corporation and the Belgian
Investment Company for Developing Countries, and a guarantee from
the World Banks Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency
(MIGA).
Helios Towers Africa is the sole independent towerco in the DRC,
having acquired 729 towers from Tigo in 2010 paying US$45mn, with
Millicom retaining 40% equity. Helios has achieved a very healthy
tenancy ratio in the DRC, and securing this loan further proves the
robustness of their business. However, conflict in the East has
contributed to a small number of Helios Towers DRCs
sites being offline, while the limited extent and poor quality
of grid power makes for a challenging operating model, compounded
by poor transport infrastructure which makes the delivered cost of
equipment significantly higher than the landed cost. Doubtless this
injection of debt finance will help. TowerXchange forecasts that
further tower transactions will occur in the DRC in the short to
medium term, with Airtels network, believed to be the most
pervasive in DRC, up for grabs, and rumours suggesting Orange may
be interested in outsourcing their towers in DRC.
IHS to delist from the Nigerian stock exchange
TMT Finance reports that IHS shareholders have voted to take the
company private, and will pay US$0.03 per share to buy out
stockholders. Only a small proportion of the equity in IHS was
believed to be part of IHS initial public offering, and the
decision to take the company private is unlikely to have any impact
on IHS current round of capital raising, with reports linking IHS
with Macquarie-backed African Infrastructure Investment Managers
(AIIM).
Vodafone Ghana to add over 400 new sites, and who wants to buy
an Expresso?
Agence Ecofin reports that Vodafone Ghana are investing
US$22.9mn in a massive extension operation, deploying over 400 new
sites to improve coverage and capacity. The
report quotes CTO Patricia Obo-Nai as saying Over the past
years, we have invested more than USD700 million in the expansion
of our sites, (which have) increased from 300 in 2009 to 2000
across the country. Vodafone Ghana outsourced the management of 750
towers to Eaton Towers in 2010 under an operational lease deal
structure. Meanwhile, were reading that the on-off sale for an
estimated US$150mn of CDMA operator Expresso Telecom, Ghanas sixth
ranked operator, to Jospong Group is currently off. Expressos
current owners Sudatel are believed to be considering selling their
telecoms assets in Ghana, Guinea, Mauritania, Senegal and South
Sudan.
Viettel keen on Burkina Faso, Burundi and Tanzania
Vietnamese military-run Viettel are in the midst of an
acquisition and expansion drive into Africa. Despite delays to the
launch of their Cameroon operation until mid-2014, Viettel has
acquired the sixth mobile license in Burundi, and is pressing ahead
with expansion into Burkina Faso and Tanzania. Viettel are believed
to be the sole bidder for the fourth license in Burkina Faso, where
they would join Onatel, Telecel Faso and Airtel. Mobile penetration
in Burkina Faso is believed to be just over 60%. Viettel are also
reported to have applied for a license in the crowded Tanzanian
market. Helios Towers operates almost 2,500 towers in Tanzania
having acquired the infrastructure assets of Tigo and Vodacom.
African telecom tower industry newsEgypt
DRCNigeria
Ghana
Senegal Mali GuineaGuineaBissau
Burkina Faso Burundi Tanzania
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www.towerxchange.com | TowerXchange Issue 7 | 36| TowerXchange
Issue 7 | www.towerxchange.com36
Frontier Tower Solutions closes on tower deal with Niel
Telecom
Our friends at Frontier Tower Solutions (FTS) are believed to be
closing in on their first African deal, acquiring towers from Niel
Telecom in Burundi and the Central African Republic. FTS have built
and manage over 1,200 towers in Iraq and Afghanistan, where a
further deal has also been suggested, and have activity pending in
Bolivia.
Telkom Mobile denies tower deal imminent, MTN extends LTE
rollout
Telkom denied unsourced media speculation that it had received a
bid for the sale of 1,600 mobile towers. Telkom would like to
correct statements that have been widely published regarding the
sale o