REG - Digital 9 Infrastr. - Update on Verne Global sale

Digital 9 InfrastructureAnnouncement

08/02/2024 07:15

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RNS Number : 4128C  Digital 9 Infrastructure PLC  08 February 2024

THIS ANNOUNCEMENT CONTAINS INSIDE INFORMATION AS STIPULATED UNDER THE UK'S
MARKET ABUSE REGULATION. UPON THE PUBLICATION OF THIS ANNOUNCEMENT, SUCH
INSIDE INFORMATION IS NOW CONSIDERED TO BE IN THE PUBLIC DOMAIN.

 

8 February 2024

 

DIGITAL 9 INFRASTRUCTURE PLC

 

("D9" or the "Company" and, together with its subsidiaries, the "Group")

 

Update on expected timing for Icelandic regulatory approval for Verne Global
sale

 

The Board of D9 (the "Board") wishes to provide an update to shareholders on
the status of the expected timeline for the closing of the sale of the Verne
Global group of companies ("Verne Global") to funds managed or advised by
Ardian France SA or any of its affiliates (the "Buyer") ("Verne Transaction).

 

As previously announced by the Company on 27 November 2023, the closing of the
Verne Transaction is conditional on, among other things, the receipt of
applicable merger control approval in Iceland ("Icelandic Regulatory
Approval").  As also previously announced on 27 November 2023 and 29 January
2024, the Company's expectation has been that this approval will be received
by the end of Q1 2024.

 

The Company's Investment Manager, Triple Point Investment Management LLP, has
been notified by the Buyer that the Icelandic anti-trust authority, the body
responsible for providing the Icelandic Regulatory Approval, has decided to
open a "Phase II investigation" into the Verne Transaction.  Under the
relevant applicable law, the period for the Phase II investigation is up to 90
working days which can be extended to 135 working days.  The Icelandic
anti-trust authority is not obliged to use the full period to conclude its
review.

 

The Board will continue to monitor this process and provide an update to
shareholders in due course.

 

 

ENDS.

 

 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION ON THE COMPANY, PLEASE CONTACT:

 

 

 Triple Point Investment Management LLP                 +44 (0)20 7201 8989

 (Investment Manager)

 Diego Massidda

 Ben Beaton

 Arnaud Jaguin

 Goldman Sachs International (Lead Financial Adviser)   +44 (0) 20 7774 1000

 Alexandre Lucas

 Owain Evans

 Fabrice Francois

 Alexander Tingle

 J.P. Morgan Cazenove (Joint Corporate Broker)          +44 (0)20 7742 4000

 William Simmonds

 Jérémie Birnbaum
 Peel Hunt (Joint Corporate Broker)                     +44 (0) 20 7418 8900

 Luke Simpson

 Huw Jeremy

 

The person responsible for making this notification is Helen Richardson,
Company Secretary.

 

About Digital 9 Infrastructure plc:

Digital 9 Infrastructure plc (DGI9) is an investment trust listed on the
London Stock Exchange and a constituent of the FTSE All-Share, with the ticker
DGI9. The Company invests in the infrastructure of the internet that underpins
the world's digital economy: digital infrastructure.

 

The Investment Manager is Triple Point Investment Management LLP ("Triple
Point") which is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority,
with extensive experience in infrastructure, real estate, and private credit,
while keeping ESG principles central to its business mission. Triple Point's
Digital Infrastructure team has over $300 billion in digital infrastructure
transaction experience and in-depth relationships across global tech and
global telecoms companies.

 

The number 9 in Digital 9 Infrastructure comes from the UN Sustainable
Development Goal 9, which focuses the fund on investments that increase
connectivity globally and improve the sustainability of digital
infrastructure. The assets DGI9 invests in typically comprise scalable
platforms and technologies including (but not limited to) subsea fibre, data
centres, terrestrial fibre and wireless networks.

 

Since IPO in March 2021, DGI9 has invested in the following data centres,
subsea fibre and wireless network assets (other than Verne Global):

 

·      Aqua Comms, a leading owner and operator of 20,000km of the most
modern subsea fibre systems - the backbone of the internet - with a customer
base comprising global tech and global telecommunications carriers;

·      Arqiva, the only UK national terrestrial television and radio
broadcasting network in the United Kingdom - providing data, network and
communications services, as well as a national IoT connectivity platform;

·      Elio Networks (previously Host Ireland) a leading enterprise
broadband provider that owns and operates Fixed Wireless Access networks;

·      EMIC-1, a partnership with Meta on a 10,000km fibre system from
Europe to India;

·      SeaEdge UK1, a data centre and landing station for the North Sea
Connect subsea cable, part of the North Atlantic Loop subsea network,
improving connectivity between the UK, Ireland, Scandinavia and North America.

The Company's Ordinary Shares were admitted to trading on the Specialist Fund
Segment of the Main Market of the London Stock Exchange on 31 March 2021. The
Company's ordinary shares were admitted to the premium listing segment of the
Official List of the Financial Conduct Authority and to trading on the premium
segment of the Main Market on 30 August 2022.

 

For more information on the Investment Manager please
visit www.triplepoint.co.uk
(https://eur03.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Furldefense.com%2Fv3%2F__http%3A%2Fwww.triplepoint.co.uk__%3B!!O2kDR7mm-zSJ!q-IhiRmOFrs2QYD7gmr9EcM8ukutg1_xde5Fce9GgBpHkvhSc3nlYhW7glbEiZG--1yRCrGc2K4WAjub3ANF%24&data=05%7C01%7CHelen.Richardson%40triplepoint.co.uk%7C736257c2b4244d9b148e08dbce910edc%7Ccde8812e0dbd4dc3b4463655beb81efb%7C0%7C0%7C638330894771285360%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C3000%7C%7C%7C&sdata=2SpCRgIybR8ARfciJBsE4bOmxNcDDFvRX9K9FehSEto%3D&reserved=0)
. For more information, please visit www.d9infrastructure.com
(https://eur03.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Furldefense.com%2Fv3%2F__http%3A%2Fwww.d9infrastructure.com__%3B!!O2kDR7mm-zSJ!q-IhiRmOFrs2QYD7gmr9EcM8ukutg1_xde5Fce9GgBpHkvhSc3nlYhW7glbEiZG--1yRCrGc2K4WArD5RA1-%24&data=05%7C01%7CHelen.Richardson%40triplepoint.co.uk%7C736257c2b4244d9b148e08dbce910edc%7Ccde8812e0dbd4dc3b4463655beb81efb%7C0%7C0%7C638330894771285360%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C3000%7C%7C%7C&sdata=%2Fd%2FuhyGQHTb%2Ft4t2e4NW5UNYk%2FYmW1xyb%2B%2BalYftf5I%3D&reserved=0)
.

 

Important Notices

 

Goldman Sachs International, which is authorised by the PRA and regulated by
the FCA and the PRA in the United Kingdom, is acting exclusively for D9 and no
one else in connection with the matters referred to in this announcement and
will not be responsible to anyone other than D9 for providing the protections
afforded to clients of Goldman Sachs International, or for providing advice in
relation to the matters referred to in this announcement.

 

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