- Stonepeak agrees to buy TeleTower, the Baltic tower arm of Bitė Group, in a deal to create the region’s first independent tower operator.
- The move includes a long-term commercial agreement to roll out more than 1,200 additional sites across Lithuania and Latvia, raising questions about competition and rural connectivity.
What happened: Stonepeak moves into Baltic telecom infrastructure through TeleTower acquisition
Infrastructure investment firm Stonepeak has agreed to acquire TeleTower, the towers business of Baltic telecommunications operator Bitė Group, in a deal that will create the first fully independent tower company in the Baltic states of Lithuania and Latvia.
TeleTower, established in 2009 as part of Bitė, owns and operates more than 2,500 mobile tower and rooftop sites in strategic locations across both countries. Under the terms of the agreement, Stonepeak will take ownership of this portfolio and, alongside Bitė, enter into a long-term commercial partnership that includes the construction and deployment of over 1,200 additional sites. The deal is projected to close in the second quarter of 2026.
Bitė itself is backed by Providence Equity Partners, a private equity firm specialising in media, communications, education and technology. Stonepeak is an alternative investment firm focused on infrastructure and real assets, managing around $80 billion in assets with a portfolio spanning digital infrastructure, energy, transport and logistics.
The creation of an independent tower company echoes broader trends in European telecoms: mobile network operators increasingly sell or spin off tower infrastructure to focus on core services while partnering with specialised towercos. For instance, in August 2025 Tele2 announced plans to form a pan-Baltic tower joint venture covering Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia, valued at about €560 million.
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Why it’s important
Telecom tower businesses are critical infrastructure for mobile connectivity, hosting radio equipment for network operators and enabling services from basic voice calls to 5G data. The formation of the first independent towerco in the Baltics could alter how network infrastructure is financed, built and shared.
Proponents argue that independent tower companies can unlock investment and efficiency gains by offering neutral host services to multiple operators, reducing duplication and potentially accelerating network expansion in less-served areas. The long-term agreement to add more than 1,200 sites suggests an intent to densify networks and bring improved 5G speeds to customers beyond urban centres.
However, it is worth questioning whether these benefits will materialise universally. Independent towercos can also consolidate market power in infrastructure ownership, which may reduce competition or limit bargaining power for smaller operators. It remains to be seen whether the independent structure will translate into lower costs for consumers or more equitable coverage across rural and remote regions. The success of similar models in other European markets has been mixed, influenced by local regulatory frameworks and competitive dynamics.
The alignment of Bitė’s interests with Stonepeak’s investment strategy could bring capital and operational expertise to the region’s telecoms infrastructure. Yet investors and regulators alike will be watching whether this strategy leads to genuine improvements in connectivity or simply shifts the financial burden and returns between industry players.
