Deutsche GigaNetz wins international award for European fibre optic deal of the year after further successful financing
- Deutsche GigaNetz receives IJGlobal Award for "Digital Infrastructure Deal of the Year 2023 - Optical Fibre Europe"
- Successful realisation of the second financing round of Deutsche GigaNetz
- Major international award in the field of infrastructure investments
Deutsche GigaNetz, one of the leading telecommunications companies for the construction and expansion of fibre optic networks in Germany, has won the international IJGlobal Award in the category "Digital Infrastructure Deal of the Year 2023 - Fibre Optic Europe". The award for the best transaction and institution in the international infrastructure and energy sector was presented in London by IJGlobal - a leading global medium for infrastructure investments.
Deutsche GigaNetz received the prestigious award for a second investment financing of EUR 450 million subscribed in December 2023, of which EUR 250 million is earmarked for immediate expansion and a further EUR 200 million is optional for additional projects. Despite a challenging market environment, the transaction was oversubscribed. The financing granted together with an international banking consortium means that the expansion targets already firmly agreed by Deutsche GigaNetz for the coming years are fully financed across all current and new projects.
The members of the consortium are ABN-AMRO, ING, KfW, KfW IPEX, LBBW, NordLB, Kommunalkredit Austria, SEB and NatWest. The existing consortium as well as SMBC and Edmond de Rothschild participated in the successful implementation of this option for the first time. In 2022, DWS Group, a leading global asset manager based in Germany, joined Deutsche GigaNetz as the second main investor alongside InfraRed Capital Partners.
Jan Budden, CEO and founder of Deutsche GigaNetz, emphasises: "The successfully completed financing round reflects the great interest shown by all banks and investors in the reliability of Deutsche GigaNetz. The expansion of fibre infrastructure in Germany makes an important contribution to the transformation towards a digital and sustainable economy. Fibre optics not only fulfils ESG criteria, but is also the basis for the current and future knowledge society in our country."
"While the components "construction costs" and "interest rate" were previously considered the decisive parameters for the capital-intensive expansion of the fibre optic infrastructure, the general availability of liquidity is now also decisive for success," states Mirko Jerrentrup, CFO of Deutsche GigaNetz.
"We are delighted to have been honoured with the internationally renowned IJGlobal Award. The transaction is a strong signal for Deutsche GigaNetz and speaks for the confidence of the investors in our stable business model. As one of the best financed companies on the market, we will continue to drive forward our vision of a nationwide fibre optic network in Germany," adds Steffen Leiwesmeier, Head of Treasury at Deutsche GigaNetz.
The demand for fibre optics from Deutsche GigaNetz continues unabated, as evidenced by the sharp rise in the number of new cooperation agreements with municipalities and cities. There are currently already contracts in place with over 200 cities and municipalities across Germany for the construction of high-quality fibre optic networks. Deutsche GigaNetz has a stable market position throughout Germany and the company has over 650 employees at eight locations in 14 federal states.
