INWIT stake financing, Bouygues-iBASIS roaming pact, UAE 6G upgrades
Ardian and Oak Holdings 1 are arranging financing for a possible purchase of the remaining 29% of Italian tower operator INWIT, valued at about $7 billion, amid a court dispute over customer contracts. Bouygues Telecom and iBASIS signed a long-term partnership covering international voice, IPX connectivity, and wholesale roaming, with iBASIS taking over key wholesale and roaming functions. UAE operators du and e& introduced network upgrades, including du's commercial U6GHz 5G+ service and Etisalat's 2x2 MIMO for faster uploads, as they prepare for 6G.
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Ardian and Oak Holdings 1 are lining up funds to buy the 29% of INWIT they do not own, a stake tied to a roughly $7 billion valuation. INWIT shares have lost about 30% in a year. Fastweb and Telecom Italia, representing 88% of 2025 revenue, contest contracts INWIT says run to 2038; courts are involved. A €7.73-per-share bid would cost about €2 billion, though renegotiated terms and added debt could reduce returns.
Bouygues Telecom and iBASIS agreed a long-term deal covering international voice, IPX, and wholesale roaming, with iBASIS handling negotiations and operations and launching Roaming Office. Bouygues becomes the first independent European operator to fully outsource roaming and the eighth Tier One iBASIS client. In the UAE, du launched commercial U6GHz 5G+, while Etisalat added 2x2 MIMO for up to triple upload speeds on 5.5G, building toward 6G around 2030.
Count? First paragraph: Ardian(1) and2 Oak3 Holdings4 1? "1" maybe word? are5 lining6 up7 funds8 to9 buy10 the11 29%12 of13 INWIT14 they15 do16 not17 own18, a19 stake20 tied21 to22 a23 roughly24 $7?25 billion26 valuation27. INWIT28 shares29 have30 lost31 about32 30%33 in34 a35 year36. Fastweb37 and38 Telecom39 Italia40, representing41 88%42 of43 2025?44 revenue45, contest46 contracts47 INWIT48 says49 run50 to51 2038?52; courts53 are54 involved55. A56 €7.73-per-share57 bid58 would59 cost60 about61 €2?62 billion63, though64 renegotiated65 terms66 and67 added68 debt69 could70 reduce71 returns72. First 72.