Wireless infrastructure operator Cellnex Telecom and French operator Bouygues Telecom struck a €1 billion deal to combine efforts in a bid to accelerate the roll-out of mobile and fixed 5G networks in France.

As part of the deal, announced by Cellnex Telecom in a statement, a joint venture will be created, with Bouygues Telecom owning 49 per cent and Cellnex Telecom the remaining 51 per cent.

The new entity plans to roll out a fibre optic network of up to 31,500 kms in France over the next seven years, providing mobile and fixed fibre-based connectivity. The network will further interconnect rooftop infrastructure and mobile towers, 5,000 of which are owned by Cellnex Telecom, to provide service to Bouygues Telecom.

It is expected the new company’s EBITDA will hit €80 million after the full deployment.

Cellnex Telecom CEO Tobias Martinez argued the agreement represented the company’s “commitment to a holistic cooperation model with our key customers to facilitate planning and efficient operation of the telecoms infrastructures networks”.

Jean Paul Arzel, network director at Bouygues Telecom, added the partnership would bring “great opportunities to enhance the capacity of our fixed and mobile network through a high performance optical fibre infrastructure, and support and accelerate our 5G roll-out”.

Cellnex Telecom said the tie-up with Bouygues Telecom would further reinforce its position in the French market, which it entered in 2016, by expanding the sites it manages to nearly 14,000 by 2027.

The agreement is subject to regulatory approvals.