EQT and OMERS Acquire Deutsche Glasfaser, a Leading Provider of Fiber-optic Internet Access in Germany

STOCKHOLM, Feb. 10, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- 

• EQT Infrastructure and OMERS acquire Deutsche Glasfaser, the fastest growing provider of gigabit internet connections through fiber-to-the-home ('FTTH') to more than 600,000 households and 5,000 businesses across Germany, creating a more sustainable and inclusive society             

• Deutsche Glasfaser will be combined with EQT Infrastructure IV portfolio company inexio to form a leading FTTH player in rural Germany. EQT Infrastructure will own 51% in the combined group and OMERS will own 49%

• Over the coming years the combined group is committed to invest over EUR 7 billion into the roll-out of fast-speed internet infrastructure in Germany, thereby significantly contributing to the German government's plan to provide nation-wide gigabit convergent internet infrastructure by 2025

The EQT Infrastructure IV fund ("EQT" or "EQT Infrastructure") and OMERS Infrastructure Management Inc. ("OMERS Infrastructure") (acting on behalf of OMERS, one of Canada's largest defined benefit pension plans) today announced the agreement to jointly acquire Deutsche Glasfaser (the "Company") from KKR Infrastructure and Reggeborgh.

Since its establishment by Dutch investor Reggeborgh in 2011, Deutsche Glasfaser invested heavily in fiber infrastructure in underserved rural and sub-urban communities in Germany and today provides high-speed internet access to more than 600,000 households and 5,000 businesses. Deutsche Glasfaser's scalable network, consisting of more than 30,000 kilometers of fiber-optic infrastructure, together with its best-in-class roll-out machine provides a strong platform for continued growth.

Looking ahead, the management team of Deutsche Glasfaser plans to continue the rapid growth of the Company by pursuing a large-scale deployment of FTTH internet access in rural Germany. FTTH is the fastest, most reliable and future-proof internet connectivity solution available and the only technology that will be able to handle the strongly growing internet bandwidth demands of the future.

Deutsche Glasfaser will be combined with EQT Infrastructure IV portfolio company inexio to form a leading FTTH player in rural Germany as well as one of the leading telco companies in Germany. EQT and OMERS Infrastructure as well as Deutsche Glasfaser's and inexio's management teams are convinced that the close collaboration between both companies will accelerate the ramp-up of the FTTH roll-out and create various areas for synergy realization.