Brookfield expands telco footprint with WIG stake

Brookfield Infrastructure has expanded its communications infrastructure portfolio to the UK through the acquisition of a 93% stake in Wireless Infrastructure Group (WIG).

Acquired from 3i Infrastructure for £387 million, WIG manages a portfolio of more than 2,000 ‘communications assets’ across the UK, including mobile network masts in rural and suburban areas, as well as wireless access infrastructure in stadiums, other buildings, along streets and transport routes. The company has also recently expanded into the Netherlands and Ireland.

Brookfield, which owns and operates assets (including data centers) in the utilities, transport, energy and data infrastructure sectors across the Americas, Asia-Pacific and Europe, is developing its ‘neutral host’ wireless access network infrastructure portfolio, having just completed a $3.7 billion deal to acquire mobile tower assets in India from Reliance Jio.

Closely-related investment firm Brookfield Asset Management, meanwhile, was part of a consortium that acquired Vodafone New Zealand earlier this year.