/home/webapps/asp_fr/data/asp/publications/aristophane_1/templates/ra2020_ardian_gb_50%22,000+200+ Italy’s major tower operator providing of the mobile sites across Italy employees widespread coverage network in Italy throughout the country is runned by Inwit Rosario Mazza: Inwit runs 50% of the mobile believe up to a third of the EU’s Covid recovery network in Italy, so for us this is a highly strategic plan is likely to be invested in digitization and asset and obviously a landmark transaction that digital networks. Since Covid there’s been a huge demonstrates our position in the Italian market. It increase in traffic on Inwit’s networks and they have was also complex to execute. We had to build a proved to be very resilient, so this transaction gives strong, trusting relationship with Telecom Italia, who us exposure to essential digital infrastructure with has the controlling interest in our joint venture, and good visibility over cash flows as well as a powerful assemble a €1.4 billion equity investment by our growth driver from digitization. shareholder consortium, including our fund and co- investments by several of our LPs. Together we are GF: I’m convinced that this deal will create excellent now embarking on a new phase of investment in opportunities for us and will provide strong support 5G technology. as we execute our 2021-23 business plan. We value Ardian’s contributions in all areas. They will GF: Telecom Italia and Vodafone’s 5G spectrum bring us innovative thinking, not just in terms of licenses require them to achieve coverage for financial issues, but also through their support for 80% of the population by 2025 and we are the process of becoming a fully sustainable business supporting them in installing the technology to roll and reaching carbon neutrality by 2025. out their services. I think we will see their 5G offering partially launched in the second half of this year. My RM: We believe in sustainable businesses and view is very strongly that success for 5G services economies, and obviously we want to accelerate will come in vertical sectors such as healthcare and that transition. Inwit’s carbon neutrality target is great transportation, where Inwit is very well positioned for us – it’s right at the core of our strategy on climate to give support from the technology point of view. change and environmental issues. So there’s a true alignment around this opportunity to create the RM: We started work on this transaction well before infrastructure for the economy of the future. Covid-19, but the pandemic has accelerated the digitalization of the economy and made digital infrastructure like Inwit’s tower network even more essential to future economic growth. This is why we 2020 ACTIVITY REPORT 95