Vocus Group back in play with private equity bid

EQT Infrastructure’s A$3.3 billion takeover bid for Vocus Communications could see a new owner for the New Zealand business. 

Vocus Group New Zealand includes the Orcon, Slingshot and CallPlus brands along with other assets. It is the third largest telco behind Spark and Vodafone. 

The potential buyer, EQT Infrastructure, is a Swedish private equity investor. 

Vocus commands good price

EQT’s bid, which became public on Monday, put a 35 percent premium on Vocus Communications’ trading price at the time. 

Insiders say the bid is likely to succeed. Although there are other potential bidders waiting in the wings should EQT’s offer fall through. Either way, Vocus is likely to find a new owner soon. 

The EQT bid comes only days after Infratil and Brookfield’s successful bid for Vodafone New Zealand. It suggests other telco sector mergers and acquisitions could be on the way. 

This is not the first time investors have attempted to buy Vocus Communications. In 2017, private equity firms Kohlberg Kravis Roberts and Affinity Equity Partners, made a bid for the company. That was later withdrawn.

According to the Australian Financial Review, the key to renewed interest in the business is Vocus’s fibre assets. 

Fibre infrastructure

Infrastructure is an increasingly popular investment class. The returns are relatively high and, in many cases, it faces little direct competition. Fibre assets of particular interest to infrastructure investors at present, they feel that its owners don’t always maximise its value. 

The Australian Financial Review goes on to report it’s likely the buy will sell VocusCommunications’s retail business. 

Presumably, this would also include Vocus’s New Zealand retail brands. 

Vocus has New Zealand local fibre assets. It picked them up from the former FX Networks business now wrapped into the Vocus Group. 

One interesting angle is that after 2022 regulated UFB wholesale prices will be based on network asset values. If fibre becomes a sought after asset for investors, that could put pressure on the regulated price.

Vodafone sale gains regulatory nod

The Commerce Commission signalled it was unlikely to oppose Infratil’s move to buy 50 percent of Vodafone New Zealand.

In a statement of preliminary issues, the regulator said the deal would not change the level of competitive pressure in broadband and voice services. While Vodafone and Infratil’s Trustpower retail arm both sell fixed-line services, the overlap is small.

The Commission said there was little to no overlap in business broadband. It also noted strong competition from Spark, 2degrees and smaller retail service providers.

This meant the transaction was unlikely to lead to a substantial lessening of competition.

Online security to get budget boost

In this week’s Budget, government earmarked $2 million a year to support the roll-out of a cyber security strategy. It starts in the 2020 financial year. The strategy “supports New Zealand’s response to the growing scope, scale and sophistication of cyber threats”.

The strategy was originally established by Clare Curran when she was communications minister. Existing communications minister Kris Faafoi will lead the strategy.

CERT, the Computer Emergency Response Team, gets an extra $2.2 million a year plus a $560,000 capital injection.

Elsewhere a further $250k a year has been set aside to lift the security and capability of the Parliamentary Service.

Taylor takes over Reannz reins

New Zealand Racing Board CIO Dianna Taylor is the new Reannz chief executive officer. She replaces Nicole Ferguson who was in the role for three years. Taylor takes up the role in August. Reannz is the government owned company that runs the nation’s specialist research and education network.