France Telecom Orange and towerco IHS have agreed a major leasing deal for 2000 towers in the Ivory Coast and in Cameroon.
The towers will remain the property of its subsidiaries Cote d’Ivoire Telecom, Orange Cote d’Ivoire and Orange Cameroon, France…
France Telecom Orange and towerco IHS have agreed a major leasing deal for 2000 towers in the Ivory Coast and in Cameroon.
The towers will remain the property of its subsidiaries Cote d’Ivoire Telecom, Orange Cote d’Ivoire and Orange Cameroon, France Telecom said in a statement.
But under the terms of the agreement IHS will operate the towers for Orange for 15 years and will be allowed to grant competing operators access to the tower sites.
Orange will also be able to host active infrastructure on towers already operated by IHS.
The deal would improve customer experience and reduce Orange’s cost base, the operator said.
In October last year IHS paid US$284m for the acquisition of 1750 towers owned by MTN Group in the Ivory Coast and in Cameroon.
Marc Rennard, Orange executive director in charge of Africa, Middle East and Asia, said that the deal would allow Orange “to drive efficiencies, reduce costs and manage the particular conditions in emerging markets such as the cost of energy and accessibility of sites.”
The deal could also be expanded to other African countries where Orange is active: “This agreement leaves open the possibility for Orange subsidiaries elsewhere in Africa and the Middle East to look into similar partnerships,” Rennard said.
