KKR, Macquarie in Italy-backed talks over telecoms network commercial deal

MILAN: The owners of Italian telecommunications companies FiberCop and Open Fiber are discussing the terms of a possible commercial deal to complete the country’s high-speed broadband rollout, three sources close to the matter said.

FiberCop has the Italian government and U.S. fund KKR as its main investors, after in 2024 they partnered in a 19-billion-euro ($22 billion) buyout ‌which remains ⁠KKR’s largest ⁠deal in Europe to date.

Italy and KKR have been at odds over Rome’s push to merge FiberCop with rival Open Fiber, due to concerns over valuation and debt ratings.