Axiata close to Pakistan deal

Axiata wants to increase its phone towers in South-East Asia and South Asia to 26,000 from 16,000 within three years and eventually list the operations, chief executive officer Tan Sri Jamaludin Ibrahim(pic) said in an interview last year.

KUALA LUMPUR: Axiata Group Bhd, the biggest Malaysian mobile operator, is nearing a deal to acquire Veon Ltd’s Pakistan wireless towers for around US$1bil, people familiar with the matter said.

Edotco Group Sdn Bhd, Axiata’s infrastructure arm, plans to announce an agreement as soon as this week, according to the people. The purchase of about 13,000 towers will make Edotco the biggest independent telecommunications tower operator in the South Asian nation, one of the people said, asking not to be identified because the information is private.