BAI Communications, a global communications infrastructure provider, has agreed to acquire Mobilitie, a privately held telecommunications infrastructure company in the United States. BAI’s acquisition represents its aim to expand its business in North America where it provides cellular and Wi-Fi connectivity across large infrastructure projects, including the New York City subway system, under its majority owned business Transit Wireless.

Igor Leprince, Group CEO of BAI Communications, said: “BAI’s acquisition of Mobilitie establishes us as a leading telecommunications infrastructure provider in the United States and the most relevant provider of public transit wireless connectivity solutions in North America. This reflects our ambitions for the US as well as the other markets in which we operate globally and puts us in the perfect position to capitalise on the growing prioritisation of connected infrastructure in regions such as the UK and Europe. The scale and strong relationships with large venue operators and mobile network operators that Mobilitie brings fits perfectly with BAI’s existing leadership in connected transit and infrastructure.

Backed by Shamrock Capital, Mobilitie’s portfolio includes existing agreements to provide wireless communications to the public transit systems in Seattle and the San Francisco Bay Area.

Gary Jabara, founder and chairman of Mobilitie said, “We’re very excited about this transaction, which augments Mobilitie’s market impact worldwide. BAI’s significance as a 5G player, together with Mobilitie, will enable unprecedented support of US wireless carriers. It puts us on a clear, long-term path to greatly accelerate business and help our customers, especially the mobile network operators.” He concluded, “Combining BAI’s connectivity solutions and international presence with Mobilitie’s North American assets, including our nationwide footprint of tier one venues, public transit systems in the San Francisco Bay Area and Seattle, along with 10,000 small cells and thousands of New York small cells that are in and around BAI’s existing assets, makes us better positioned for 5G growth than anyone else in North America.”

Canada Pension Plan Investment Board is BAI’s majority shareholder.

CPP Investments’ head of portfolio value creation and non-executive director on the BAI Communications board of directors, Max Biagosch said, “This acquisition is an exciting and dynamic move for the BAI business and represents an attractive opportunity for CPP Investments to increase its financial commitments and generate long-term sustainable returns for our contributors and beneficiaries. It is a true enhancement of our broader portfolio, extending our investment in digital infrastructure which is critical to people and communities around the world as our lives become increasingly dependent on connectivity.”

J.P. Morgan Securities LLC served as exclusive financial advisor to BAI Communications and Latham & Watkins LLP served as legal advisor. Morgan Stanley & Co. LLC served as exclusive financial advisor to Mobilitie and Goodwin Procter LLP served as legal advisor to Mobilitie LLC. Cooley LLP served as legal advisor to Shamrock Capital.