Canadian cableco Shaw Communications closed its previously-announced acquisition of cellco Wind Mobile on 1 March 2016, via the purchase of holding company Mid-Bowline Group for an enterprise value of approximately CAD1.6 billion (USD1.2 billion). Wind is Canada’s largest ‘non-incumbent’ wireless services provider, i.e. the fourth-largest player behind nationwide mobile operators Rogers, Telus and Bell. Wind serves approximately 940,000 subscribers across Ontario, British Columbia and Alberta with 50MHz of spectrum in each of these regions. Shaw said in a statement that it will continue to invest in the wireless network and service offering, including upgrades to 4G LTE.
CEO Brad Shaw said: ‘We know Canadians want options when it comes to their wireless provider and, in time, customers can expect to see integrated offerings that provide them with the best value for their dollar in quality of coverage and connectivity. We are excited about our growth prospects in mobile and welcome the Wind team of 1,200 employees. With the transformative power of this transaction, Shaw will become a leading pure-play connectivity provider.’