Telxius
| Company type | Public (part of Telefónica Infra) |
|---|---|
| Industry | Telecommunications infrastructure |
| Founded | 2016 |
| Founder | Telefónica |
| Headquarters | Madrid , Spain |
Area served | Europe, Americas |
| Products | Submarine optical fiber cables, telecommunications towers (until 2021) |
| Owner | Telefónica (70%), Pontegadea (30%) |
| Parent | Telefónica Infra (division of Telefónica) |
Telxius Telecom S.A. is an international telecommunications infrastructure firm founded in 2016 and is a part of Telefónica Infra, which itself is a division of the Spanish telecommunications leader Telefónica.
History
On February 21, 2017, Telefónica divested up to 40% of its stake in Telxius to KKR for a total of 1.275 billion euros, with shares priced at 12.75 euros each.
In 2018, Telxius introduced BRUSA, a submarine cable stretching 11,000 kilometers that connects Brazil, Puerto Rico, and the United States. That same year, it also launched MAREA, a transatlantic cable developed in partnership with Microsoft and Facebook, linking the US to Europe.
On July 27, 2019, Telefónica sold a 9.99% portion of Telxius to Pontegadea, the investment company owned by Amancio Ortega, for 378.8 million euros at a rate of 15.2 euros per share.
In 2021, Telefónica reached an agreement to transfer Telxius’ tower assets in Europe and Latin America—comprising roughly 31,000 sites located in Spain, Germany, Argentina, Brazil, Chile, and Peru—to American Tower for $9.6 billion.
Infrastructure
Telxius manages an extensive international cable system with over 100,000 kilometers of submarine optical fiber connecting Europe and the Americas. The company owns more than 31,000 kilometers of this network. Its principal infrastructure includes SAM-1, operational since 2000 and linking the US with Central and South America; PCCS (Pacific Caribbean Cable System), which connects the US with Puerto Rico, Curaçao, Colombia, Panama, and Ecuador; and Unisur, a cable connecting Argentina and Uruguay.
Ownership Structure
On February 21, 2017, Telefónica sold up to a 40% stake in Telxius to KKR for €1.275 billion (€12.75 per share). Subsequently, on July 27, 2019, Telefónica divested 9.99% of shares to Pontegadea—the investment arm of Amancio Ortega—for €378.8 million (€15.2 per share). In February 2022, Telefónica together with Pontegadea jointly repurchased KKR’s entire 40% holding for around €215.7 million; this transaction was subject to adjustments following the prior sale of Telxius's tower assets to American Tower in 2021.
| Shareholder | Ownership Percentage |
|---|---|
| Telefónica | 70.00 % |
| Pontegadea | 30.00 % |