- Tofane Global enters in exclusive negotiations with Altice NV to acquire its activities regrouped under the “Altice International Wholesale”
- With this second operation Tofane Global, which signed last week the acquisition of iBasis (Royal KPN N.V.), becomes the third provider of interoperator international services in the world (voice and mobile)
Paris, 12 March 2018 – Tofane Global has entered exclusive negotiations with Altice NV (Euronext: ATCA, ATCB) to acquire « Altice International Wholesale » (AIW) consisting of the group’s international interoperator carrier activities in France, Portugal and in the Dominican Republic. The three entities of AIW (SFR Carriers, Meo and Orange Dominicana) transported 14 billion minutes of international voice traffic in 2017.
The transaction will be presented to works’ council advice and seeking regulatory approvals. After the closing of this transaction, Tofane Global and AIW companies will remain longterm strategic partners to Altice NV and will keep delivering international voice termination and mobile data services.
On March 8, Tofane Global announced the acquisition of iBasis, a subsidiary of Royal KPN NV, in international voice and mobiles services. iBasis’ ability to carry huge volume of traffic, its track record in innovation and its history in Voice over IP, make it ideal as the cornerstone to Tofane Global’s consolidation and digital transformation project. iBasis will provide technical and network support to this transaction and ensure AIW continues to provide seamless service for its customers and suppliers.
Purchasing AIW is a key milestone that advances the strategy of Tofane Global and positions the company as a leader in this rapidly evolving industry. Telecommunications operators, such as Altice and KPN wish to focus on their national markets and divest non-core services. These carriers want to ensure their businesses are managed by trusted experts that will continue to support their international needs for many years to come. With the rapid development of the mobile phone market (8 billion devices in the world, more than inhabitants), the demand for international telecom services (VoIP, mobile data, roaming) is exploding and sees the emergence of independent specialists, providing globally available full-service solutions.
“Altice was seeking an acquirer that could not only deliver a technically and financially complete solution quickly, but a company that would be a trusted partner expert in delivering international communications services. This is precisely our strategic offer to operators. Royal KPN N.V. and Altice independently decided to proceed with Tofane Global as their trusted partner and signed the same week. Once all authorizations are received Tofane Global will become the third largest provider of voice and mobile data services in the world.”, says Alexandre Pébereau, Tofane Global
CEO.
Together Altice International Wholesale and iBasis represent a turnover of more than 1.2 billion euros in a full year and transfer 34 billion minutes per year. They serve more than 50 customer operators for 4G mobile data services.
Tofane Global is a new French player in the telecom and digital sectors, and a specialist of international inter operators’ carrier services. It was founded by Alexandre Pébereau, a recognized professional among international carriers (former CEO of Orange Carriers, as well as founder of the ITW Council) and is backed by solid financial partners including Ciclad and
Trocadero Capital Partners. Tofane Global believes in the development of independent specialists with a broader and more global digital offer that provides economies of scale delivering cost effectiveness as well as seamless quality.
Banque Lazard, Arthur D. Little, Ernst & Young, and De Pardieu Brocas Maffei served as advisors to Tofane Global.
About TOFANE GLOBAL
Tofane Global is a Paris-based company, provider of telecom and digital services for carriers and “Over The Top” (OTT) internet related companies. It was founded in 2017 by Alexandre Pébereau, a recognized leader among international carriers – former CEO of Orange Carriers and MD of Maroc Telecom, as well as founder of the ITW Council. Tofane Global’s strategy is to combine multiple players in the International Wholesale market, either by acquisitions or through strategic partnerships, to create a flexible virtual platform able to achieve economies of scale and offer best in class technology. Tofane Global has begun his activity in March 2018 with the intended acquisition of iBasis, a subsidiary of Royal KPN N.V. For more information, please visit www.tofaneglobal.com
About ALTICE NV
Founded in 2001 by entrepreneur Patrick Drahi, Altice is a convergent global leader in telecoms, content, media, entertainment and advertising. Altice delivers innovative, customer-centric products and solutions that connect and unlock the limitless potential of its over 50 million customers over fiber networks and mobile broadband. The company enables millions of people to live out their passions by providing original content, high-quality and compelling TV shows, and international, national and local news channels. Altice delivers live broadcast premium sports events and enables millions of customers to enjoy the most well-known media and entertainment. Altice innovates with technology in its Altice Labs across the world. Altice links leading brands to audiences through premium advertising solutions. Altice is also a global provider of enterprise digital solutions to millions of business customers. Altice is present in 10 territories from New York to Paris, from Tel Aviv to Lisbon, from Santo Domingo to Geneva, from Amsterdam to Dallas. Altice (ATC & ATCB) is listed on Euronext Amsterdam. For more information, please visit www.altice.net
About CICLAD
CICLAD is an independent Private Equity investment firm launched in 1988, specialized in backing management teams to go through business transformation projects. Since its inception, Ciclad invested in more than 150 transactions in France and abroad in all industry sectors. Ciclad invests in every type of business succession transaction or in specific growth projects (transfer of familyowned businesses, takeover of group subsidiaries by their managers or fund raising for growth). Since 1988, Ciclad has been benefitting from the renewed support of renowned French and international institutional investors. Ciclad’s team is composed of seasoned professionals highly involved in the support of the management team. Ciclad’s experience include several transactions in the telecommunications industry. For more information, please visit www.ciclad.com
About TROCADERO CAPITAL PARTNERS
Trocadero Capital Partners (TCP) is an independent management company owned by its management and approved by the A.M.F under number GP-13000033. Its investment team has a long track record as a key player in the bond or minority capital investment segment for French and European companies with an enterprise value between €10M and €100M. TCP is distinguished by its entrepreneurial culture, strong responsiveness linked to a short decision-making process and involvement in the value creation of the companies its supports. For more information, please visit www.trocaderocp.com
