A1 Group struck a deal to acquire assets from Serbian infrastructure player Conexio through the operator’s arm in the country, a move designed to aid its local business and units in surrounding markets.

The agreement involves 850km of gage piping the operator group noted will “close the gap between the A1 markets Croatia and Bulgaria, while also providing routes to Hungary and North Macedonia”.

It plans to lay fibre in the pipes and close what it described as a network infrastructure gap in the region. The deal is subject to regulatory approval, with terms of the agreement undisclosed.

A1 Group CEO Thomas Arnoldner said the buy will allow it to “successfully pursue our growth strategy”, adding its unit in Serbia will provide “strong support for local traffic needed for mobile backhauling and for the provision of other local services” along with long-distance solutions.

The group’s COO Alejandro Plater lauded the agreement as taking its international connectivity to a new level and enabling it “to offer services running on our own managed infrastructure from the Bosporus to Austria”.