Dutch-German investment manager Primevest Capital Partners and communications group Vodafone Germany are to roll-out a state-of-the-art fibre optic network in the city of Hadamar in the Hessian district of Limburg-Weilburg.
Primevest will finance and build the infrastructure for around EUR20 million and lease it back to operator Vodafone, which will market and provide ultra-high-speed internet services over the new network.
Bas van Dongen, Communication Infrastructure Partner at Primevest Capital Partners, says: “Germany is one of the world’s leading economies but lags behind other markets in the provision of superfast broadband connectivity, which acts as a drag on productivity, both privately and in business. Primevest’s existing relationship with Vodafone has been expanded by this new agreement, which is our first fibre-to-the-home project with them that also includes private households. We see this as the first of many such projects in partnership with Vodafone, where we are both able to make a real contribution to the modernisation of Germany’s communication infrastructure that has huge untapped potential.”
The installation of the network will start later this year, providing access for some 6,000 households and companies to gigabit-fast internet connections over the next two years. The network will replace existing DSL systems which are unable to support the capacity demands of modern internet use, such as audio and video streaming in working from home and home schooling.
Jürgen Raith, Director of fibre Optic Marketing and Rollout at Vodafone Germany, says: “Our agreement with Primevest will help move the city of Hadamar from the digital hard shoulder to the gigabit-fast lane. The Covid-19 pandemic clearly shows how important high-performance internet connections are. I am confident that many residents and businesses will recognise this and embrace fibre optic connections since they will improve people’s quality of life and enhance the competitiveness of companies.”
The central districts of Hadamar, Niederhadamar and Faulbach as well as the neighbouring towns of Niederzeuzheim, Oberzeuzheim, Steinbach, Oberweyer and Niederweyer, will be connected to the high-performance network. Hadamar’s north industrial area and the Auf den Sechsmorgen industrial areas in Oberweyer, Am Steinkreuz in Niederhadamar and the industrial area in Niederzeuzheim, will also be included in the network expansion. Vodafone will start pre-marketing in mid-March 2021.
Primevest’s Bas van Dongen, says: ”This is Primevest’s 15th investment in communication infrastructure projects since launching our first fund in 2017 and we are now collaborating with eight network operator partners on fibre projects in Germany and the Netherlands. We have already financed some EUR100 million of projects and together with those under construction our total investment is now over EUR150 million. Our fund provides investors expert access to this fast-growing alternative asset class. We were one of the first investment managers to recognise the potential that communication networks offer to deliver low-risk and stable income streams, while also enabling better services for the end customer. With our in-house capabilities and operator network we are well-placed to support investors as they look to diversify their portfolios.”
