PŚO
Partnering with Iliad to create Poland’s biggest open access broadband network
Acquisition
March 2023
Current investment
Sector
Communications
Country
Poland
Fund
Infrastructure V
Polski Swiatlovod Otwarty (“PŚO”) is a newly incorporated company, to which UPC Poland contributed its cable access network (3.7 million homes passed) and which aims at upgrading this access network to fiber-to-the-home (“FTTH”) as well as expanding it in selected areas of Poland to cover 6 million households.
InfraVia acquired a 50% equity stake in PŚO, the remaining 50% being held by Play/UPC Poland. UPC Poland is Iliad fixed broadband provider in Poland with a large coverage in urban areas while Play is Iliad’s mobile operator in Poland with nationwide coverage.
PŚO intends to operate as an open access network having Play/UPC as anchor tenants and aiming to wholesell its network to other Polish Internet Service Providers (“ISPs”), becoming a leading FTTH wholesale operator in Poland. Play/UPC will also provide network deployment services, backhauling services and management services to PŚO.
InfraVia invested in PŚO in 2023 with a view to leveraging its deep communications infrastructure experience across Europe. PŚO will support economic development in Poland, improving high speed connectivity in a country where fixed broadband penetration is lagging EU average.