India’s telecom tower and consultancy firm Viom Networks is set to launch in Africa according to media reports in a move expected to serve the contients growing telecom infrastructure market.
According to reports, Viom Networks vice chairman and managing director Sunil Kanoria said the firm is eyeing Kenya and Nigeria as first expansion points then later venture into other markets in Africa.
With a network of over 42,000 towers, Viom Networks, a Tata Teleservices and SREI Infrastructure joint venture – is India’s largest independent telecommunications infrastructure company servig firms such as Tata Teleservices, Bharti Airtel, Aircel, MTS, Vodafone, Idea, Uninor and BSNL among others.
Viom Networks has investors such as Macquarie SBI Infrastructure Fundled consortium, GIC Investments Pte Ltd. Singapore, IDFC Private Equity and Funderburk Mauritius Ltd. (Oman Investment Fund) and was set to sell 51% stake to American Tower Company late last year for $1 billion.
Viom Networks joins a sector which has strong operators such as Helios Towers Africa, IHS, Eaton Towers among others which have been acquiring towers from telcos as well as raising funds to help telcos focus on service delivery rather than run their own infrastructure.
