European telcos kick off 2021 with infrastructure, fiber sales

The number of media and telecom transactions in Europe fell 5.7% year over year in January to 82, according to data compiled by S&P Global Market Intelligence.

Two of January's top deals involved Europe's largest telecom operators and the sale of stakes in their network infrastructure.

In the month's only billion-dollar deal, Orange SA agreed to sell a 50% stake it its fiber unit to a consortium of investors for $3.26 billion.

The investors include La Banque des Territoires, CNP Assurances SA and French private equity firm EDF Invest. Orange has a call option that enables it to take control and consolidate the unit in the future.

Meanwhile, Deutsche Telekom AG is to combine its telecom masts in the Netherlands with those of Cellnex Telecom SA.

DOVISTA A/S' $398.1 million acquisition of digital marketing company Webcom Management Holding GmbH was the second-largest media and telecom deal of the month.