Independent infrastructure manager Ancala has made its first investment in Ireland with the purchase of a nationwide portfolio of 300 telecom towers from Phoenix Tower International (PTI).
The sale was mandated by the Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (CCPC) as part of conditions attached to PTI’s acquisition of Cellnex Telecom’s Irish business, which closed in February 2025.
The portfolio will form the foundation of Ancala’s new Irish tower platform, TorLoc Towers.
The new entity has taken over existing customer contracts and will continue to provide services to mobile network operators, emergency services, rural broadband providers, and private enterprise networks.
Ancala has said it intends to grow the platform both organically and through further acquisitions, positioning TorLoc Towers as a major independent player in the Irish telecom infrastructure market.
Tim Power, Partner at Ancala, said the deal fits with the firm’s broader investment strategy.
“TorLoc Towers represents Ancala’s first investment in Ireland and aligns with our strategy of investing in businesses with traditional infrastructure characteristics with opportunities to create value through active asset management.
“Ireland’s telecom tower market, which is underpinned by rising demand for reliable, high-speed mobile network coverage, continues to offer strong growth opportunities for an independent platform such as TorLoc.
“We look forward to partnering with Ireland’s MNOs and other providers of wireless telecoms as they expand and enhance connectivity nationwide.”
For PTI, the divestment was a regulatory requirement, but the company highlighted the importance of selecting a buyer with relevant expertise.
PTI Chief Executive Officer Dagan T. Kasavana said: “It was essential that we found an owner and operator of these tower sites, that we are transferring pursuant to the commitments with the CCPC, with a clear track record managing essential infrastructure.
“Ancala’s record of investment, flexibility, bespoke structuring and experience in delivering complex carve-outs was critical in our decision to select them.”
The transaction represents Ancala’s second foray into digital infrastructure, following its investment in Fore Freedom, an independent fibre network developer in the Netherlands.
That deal, which combined acquisitions and organic growth, ended in a successful exit for Ancala.
It also builds on Ancala’s experience with complex corporate carve-outs, including the 2023 acquisition of Avincis, Europe’s largest aerial emergency services operator, from Babcock International Group.
Financial details of the Irish tower deal were not disclosed.
