The SREI group owned telecom tower company, Quippo Telecom Infrastructure Limited (QTIL), has bid Rs 30 billion for the tower business of Bangladesh based mobile operator Banglalink.
A subsidiary of Egypt-based Orascom Telecom, Banglalink owns about 5,200 towers. According to reports the deal will be awarded to Viom Networks which is managed by QTIL and Tata Teleservices which holds a majority stake in Viom Networks.
Following the Supreme Court order cancelling 122 mobile permits awarded to Viom Networks in 2008, the company has been looking for a buyer.
Viom Networks was formed in January 2009 with the merger of the telecom tower operations of Tata Teleservices and QTIL. At the time of the merger of two companies, the combined new entity had about 18,000 towers valued at Rs 130 billion.
Besides Banglalink tower deal Viom Networks is also in talks with telecom operators in Africa and West and East Asia to get tower management contracts.
