05 September 2024

DigitalBridge Group has agreed to acquire Japan’s infrastructure-sharing company JTower, with the aim of taking the company private. The board of JTower has expressed support for the offer and recommended that shareholders tender their shares.

This acquisition comes as Japan’s telecommunications industry faces increasing challenges, including the deployment of Beyond 5G and 6G technologies, expanding coverage to remote and disaster-prone areas, and maintaining infrastructure with limited resources amid a declining population. JTower, which specialises in indoor and outdoor infrastructure sharing, views this partnership as crucial for its long-term growth, which is also essential for the development of the telecommunications industry.

By going private under DigitalBridge, JTower aims to secure the capital needed for future investments without the constraints of the public market. DigitalBridge has committed to providing the necessary equity to support JTower’s expansion, allowing the company to respond flexibly to funding needs and accelerate its growth in the infrastructure-sharing market, the tower company said.

JTower also confirmed that it will continue to maintain its business relationships with existing capital and business alliance partners Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corporation, NTT Docomo, and KDDI.