French infrastructure operator gains investment for network roll-out

Share this on social media:

DIF Capital Partners is to invest in the French independent fibre optic operator IELO to help accelerate its network’s roll-out. 

The investment comes via the firm’s DIF Core Infrastructure Fund II, and will enable IELO to build a nationwide footprint and become a leading operator in France, while remaining fully independent and a pure infrastructure player.   

IELO’s fibre network currently encompasses nearly 2,000km of fibre over 30 metropolitan areas and connects more than 1,000 companies. Due to the significantly growing digitalisation requirements of companies the market is rapidly expanding. The investment from DIF, combined with that of the IELO founders amounts to around €90 million. Over the next few years this will be used to triple the size of IELO’s network by deploying more than 4,500km of fibre in 95 French cities and economic zones. The acquisition of a stake in the operator also perfectly fits CIF II’s strategy to invest in high-quality telecom infrastructure businesses. 

Arthur Fernandez IELO co-founder and CEO said: ‘IELO is now at a turning point in its development and the long-term support provided by DIF represents a tremendous accelerator to achieve our ambitions of scaling up the strategy we have been successfully implementing in recent years. We intend to consolidate our position as a key independent wholesale operator in the fibre optics business with the aim of expanding our French client base to further gain market share.’

Thomas Vieillescazes, partner and head of DIF France added: ‘This investment is in line with our strategy of investing in the high-potential digital infrastructure market, especially in the growing B2B business. We believe IELO, being a dedicated wholesale infrastructure provider, and the only one with a nationwide development strategy, is a perfect fit for DIF CIF II: it’s a pure infrastructure play with a greenfield component, for which DIF will bring to bear its longstanding experience in the French market.’

Richard Thorpe, chief delivery officer at CityFibre

15 August 2022

Recent News

08 June 2023

The provider owns an international fibre network encompassing more than 132,000km across approximately 865+ points-of-presence (PoPs).

08 June 2023

The programme is designed to advance access to high-speed internet as a fundamental right in collaboration with private, public, non-profit sectors to benefit underserved communities in rural regions of India

05 June 2023

The company says that it will continue to trade and be available for customers through the administration process.

02 June 2023

The $73m investment in fibre optic cable manufacture is designed to help connect American communities and create 170 manufacturing jobs.