Dense Air has reached a definitive agreement to be acquired by Sidewalk Infrastructure Partners (SIP). SIP is backed by Google parent company Alphabet and the Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan (OTPP). Post-acquisition, Dense Air will operate within SIP’s CoFi innovation platform, which aims to make connectivity more open, shared, and inclusive through public-private partnerships.
SIP and Dense Air say they are poised to announce an inaugural US-based project that will involve partnering with cities to increase wireless broadband availability, with a focus on expanding access for typically underserved communities, such as students without connectivity at home.
Announcing the transaction, the companies noted: ‘With Dense Air’s spectrum assets, public-private partnerships, and track record of expanding connectivity, this acquisition will accelerate Dense Air’s mission of providing cost-effective 4G and 5G solutions and densifying and extending mobile networks to support a range of use cases, including enhanced mobile broadband, IoT, public safety, first responder networks, and remote learning.’
TeleGeography notes that Dense Air’s subsidiaries currently hold 5G-suitable spectrum in markets such as Australia, Belgium, Ireland, New Zealand and Portugal.