Investment

Mubadala Investment Company, the Abu Dhabi sovereign investor, has announced an investment in Yondr Group, a leading global hyperscale data centre developer.

In a deal that seems to have been finalised last week but has only recently been widely reported, Uganda plans to sell 60% of its troubled state-owned service provider Uganda Telecommunications Corporation Limited (UTel) to Dubai-based global contractor Rowad Capital for US$225million.

Clear Mobitel, a UK-based technology data company, has announced plans to invest US$200 million in Zimbabwe’s telecommunications sector.

Millicom International Cellular says it has entered into a non-binding memorandum of understanding (MoU) to acquire a 67.50% stake in Colombia Telecomunicaciones (aka Coltel or Telefonica Colombia) from owner Telefonica Hispanoamerica, for approximately US$400 million.

The World Bank has pledged US$100 million to fund a new project that promises to speed up development of Zambia's digital infrastructure and narrow the digital divide.

Malayisan telco Maxis is reportedly keen to buy out rival operator U Mobile, but a deal looks uncertain with at least one major shareholder of U Mobile having already rejected the idea.

Thai billionaire Sarath Ratanavadi has reportedly announced plans to merge his power company Gulf Energy Development with its telecoms unit Intouch Holdings, which owns telco Advanced Info Service (AIS), with the resulting combined entity potentially valued at US$20.5 billion.

The International Finance Corporation (IFC), a global development institution focused on the private sector in developing countries and a member of the World Bank Group, has announced a financing package for TerraPay, an Africa-focused digital payments provider.

Philippine company DITO CME Holdings, the parent firm of third telco DITO Telecommunity, has denied a report in local media that one of its investors, Singapore-based Summit Telco Holdings, is moving to take over the company.

Intelligent power and sensing technologies company onsemi has announced plans to establish a state-of-the-art, vertically integrated silicon carbide (SiC) manufacturing facility in the Czech Republic.

Africa Data Centres, which owns and operates Africa's largest network of interconnected, carrier and cloud-neutral data centre facilities, says it has unlocked funding that will allow it to expand data centre capacity and meet the growing demand for cloud computing services in South Africa.

Indian telco Vodafone Idea is reportedly set to raise as much as Rs24.5 billion (US$293.2 million) via a preferential issue of equity shares to the local units of telecoms equipment suppliers Nokia and Ericsson.

Yet another massive communications-related investment is coming Malaysia’s way, this time from ByteDance.

Silica Networks, the telecommunications division of the technology-focused Datco Group, has acquired the operation of wholesale fibre optic connectivity services operator Internexa in Argentina. The purchase of Internexa is said to be Datco Group's 27th acquisition.

Google has announced plans to invest US$2 billion in Malaysia. It aims to develop its first data centre in the country, along with a Google Cloud hub.

The Saudi Arabian Public Investment Fund (PIF) has established the Neo Space Group (NSG), a wholly owned PIF company whose mission will be to become a national champion in the Saudi satellite and space sector.

Malaysia is apparently targeting an estimated US$107 billion – or more – in investment for its semiconductor industry, an industry in which it is already well established, accounting for 13% of global testing and packaging, according to some reports.

Following news earlier this week of major UK development investments in telecoms  in Senegal and Tanzania come announcements from the US Trade and Development Agency (USTDA) of support for projects in two Asian countries.

Three investment groups have partnered to support operator Sonatel’s telecoms expansion in Senegal. The combined €87 million (about $94.5 million) financing package aims to help the company expand telecoms infrastructure, including towers and cables, in rural areas and provide reliable and affordable mobile and internet services to people in Senegal.

TOA (TowerCo of Africa) Tanzania has signed a US$30 million financing agreement with UK development investor British International Investment (BII).

Vietnam’s biggest technology firm, FPT, has announced what it calls a comprehensive strategic partnership with technology giant Nvidia, aiming to offer what it calls a one-stop shop for artificial intelligence (AI) and cloud.

Indian operator Vodafone Idea's much heralded Rs18,000 crore (about US$ 2.2 billion at current exchange rates) follow-on public offer (FPO), India’s biggest, was fully subscribed by its third day, according to local news reports.

The Malaysian government has announced some ambitious investment plans to raise the country’s profile in digital technology in the coming years.

Indian operator Vodafone Idea’s Rs 5,400 crore (about $645.5 million) offer of shares to anchor investors was fully subscribed on Tuesday.

South Africa's Blue Label Telecoms has received approval from the country's Competition Commission (CompCom) to take control, via a subsidiary, of operator Cell C.

Zegtel, a new Nigerian mobile virtual network operator (MVNO), has announced plans to invest about US$21.8 million over the next five years to expand mobile connectivity across the country.

Actis, a global investor in sustainable infrastructure, has signed an agreement to sell leading South African fibre network operator Octotel to a consortium of investors.

Turkcell, the largest mobile operator in Turkey, has said it aims to ramp up investment this year as it plans for a new data centre and infrastructure for 5G services.

Private equity firm KKR & Co will invest US$400 million in telecoms tower operations in the Philippines, according to an announcement made by the US Department of Commerce this week.