Bluebird Network to be Acquired by Macquarie Infrastructure Partners
Bluebird to Immediately Expand Midwest Fiber Footprint; Uniti Group to Finance the Transaction Through a Sale / Leaseback Agreement
COLUMBIA, MISSOURI — January 15, 2019 — Bluebird Network, LLC, (“Bluebird” or the “Company”) a Midwest telecommunications company, is being acquired by Macquarie Infrastructure Partners (“MIP”) for an undisclosed amount. MIP is a long-term infrastructure investment fund that is managed by the Macquarie Infrastructure and Real Assets (“MIRA”) division of Macquarie Group.
MIP has partnered with Uniti Group Inc. (NASDAQ: UNIT) (“Uniti”) to finance the transaction. Uniti will acquire Bluebird’s fiber network and then lease it back to Bluebird under a long-term lease. As part of the transaction, Bluebird will also acquire Uniti’s Midwestern fiber business and receive a long-term lease over Uniti’s Midwestern fiber network, which consists of approximately 2,500 miles of network predominantly in Illinois. Upon completion of the transactions the two adjacent networks will be combined and operated as one company under the Bluebird name. The Company will be operated by the existing Bluebird management team and employee-base headquartered in Columbia, MO, led by Chief Executive Officer, Michael Morey.
Bluebird Network Fiber Optic Infrastructure Fuels Appetite for Hannibal Business Growth
Bluebird Network, a leading Midwest telecommunications company, has expanded its high-speed broadband fiber in Hannibal, Missouri. Through the buried fiber routes, the fiber optic infrastructure in the City results in access to more high-speed communication services that the City wants, the public wants, and that Bluebird is proud to provide. The fast and efficient broadband infrastructure serves the City, its agencies and local businesses, and provides the ability to connect other broadband areas to the City which supports the drive for economic growth. The expansion of this network provides lateral build opportunities to connect nearby rural communities to the City, and will ultimately provide fiber for business growth within the future Industrial Park. With businesses depending heavily on the power of digital communication, this expanded network sustains high performance, speed and reliability while being utilized by the community.
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