CK Hutchison’s 3 Denmark became the latest European operator to move infrastructure assets into a separate company, with plans to sell access to other players in the market.

The newly formed HI3G will house 3 Denmark’s 1,275 masts, alongside related assets and employees related to the engineering work and maintenance of the units. It will be operated as an independent business area.

CEO of 3’s operations in Scandanavia Morten Christiansen said: “We are doing this reorganisation because we want to focus more on how we can best optimise and capitalise on our infrastructure.

“As in many other countries, an independent market for the establishment and servicing of masts is being formed in Denmark, and we believe that we can become sharper in this area by dedicating our efforts to an independent organisation.”

Last year, 3 Denmark parent CK Hutchison announced plans to spin-off its European tower assets into a standalone business as part of a wider reorganisation of its telecommunications businesses.

The separation of passive infrastructure in order to create new income streams, sell stakes or dispose of them completely and lease access is a trend being seen across Europe. Large operator groups including Vodafone and Telefonica have been among those making moves in recent months.