Replacement - Update on Verne Global sale

Digital 9 Infrastructure PLC

08 February 2024

 

The following amendment has been made to the 'Update on expected timing for Icelandic regulatory approval for Verne Global sale' announcement released on 8 February 2024 at 7.00am under RNS No 4128C.

The period to which the Phase II investigation can be extended has been corrected to 125 days.

All other details remain unchanged.

The full amended text is shown below.

THIS ANNOUNCEMENT CONTAINS INSIDE INFORMATION AS STIPULATED UNDER THE UK'S MARKET ABUSE REGULATION. UPON THE PUBLICATION OF THIS ANNOUNCEMENT, SUCH INSIDE INFORMATION IS NOW CONSIDERED TO BE IN THE PUBLIC DOMAIN.

8 February 2024

DIGITAL 9 INFRASTRUCTURE PLC

("D9" or the "Company" and, together with its subsidiaries, the "Group")

Update on expected timing for Icelandic regulatory approval for Verne Global sale

The Board of D9 (the "Board") wishes to provide an update to shareholders on the status of the expected timeline for the closing of the sale of the Verne Global group of companies ("Verne Global") to funds managed or advised by Ardian France SA or any of its affiliates (the "Buyer") ("Verne Transaction).

As previously announced by the Company on 27 November 2023, the closing of the Verne Transaction is conditional on, among other things, the receipt of applicable merger control approval in Iceland ("Icelandic Regulatory Approval").  As also previously announced on 27 November 2023 and 29 January 2024, the Company's expectation has been that this approval will be received by the end of Q1 2024. 

The Company's Investment Manager, Triple Point Investment Management LLP, has been notified by the Buyer that the Icelandic anti-trust authority, the body responsible for providing the Icelandic Regulatory Approval, has decided to open a "Phase II investigation" into the Verne Transaction.  Under the relevant applicable law, the period for the Phase II investigation is up to 90 working days which can be extended to 125 working days.  The Icelandic anti-trust authority is not obliged to use the full period to conclude its review.

The Board will continue to monitor this process and provide an update to shareholders in due course.

ENDS.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION ON THE COMPANY, PLEASE CONTACT:

Triple Point Investment Management LLP (Investment Manager) Diego Massidda Ben Beaton Arnaud Jaguin Goldman Sachs International (Lead Financial Adviser) Alexandre Lucas Owain Evans Fabrice Francois Alexander Tingle	[phone] [phone]
J.P. Morgan Cazenove (Joint Corporate Broker) William Simmonds Jérémie Birnbaum	[phone]
Peel Hunt (Joint Corporate Broker) Luke Simpson Huw Jeremy	[phone]

The person responsible for making this notification is Helen Richardson, Company Secretary.

About Digital 9 Infrastructure plc:

Digital 9 Infrastructure plc (DGI9) is an investment trust listed on the London Stock Exchange and a constituent of the FTSE All-Share, with the ticker DGI9. The Company invests in the infrastructure of the internet that underpins the world's digital economy: digital infrastructure.

The Investment Manager is Triple Point Investment Management LLP ("Triple Point") which is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority, with extensive experience in infrastructure, real estate, and private credit, while keeping ESG principles central to its business mission. Triple Point's Digital Infrastructure team has over $300 billion in digital infrastructure transaction experience and in-depth relationships across global tech and global telecoms companies.

The number 9 in Digital 9 Infrastructure comes from the UN Sustainable Development Goal 9, which focuses the fund on investments that increase connectivity globally and improve the sustainability of digital infrastructure. The assets DGI9 invests in typically comprise scalable platforms and technologies including (but not limited to) subsea fibre, data centres, terrestrial fibre and wireless networks.

Since IPO in March 2021, DGI9 has invested in the following data centres, subsea fibre and wireless network assets (other than Verne Global):

·      Aqua Comms, a leading owner and operator of 20,000km of the most modern subsea fibre systems - the backbone of the internet - with a customer base comprising global tech and global telecommunications carriers;

·      Arqiva, the only UK national terrestrial television and radio broadcasting network in the United Kingdom - providing data, network and communications services, as well as a national IoT connectivity platform;

·      Elio Networks (previously Host Ireland) a leading enterprise broadband provider that owns and operates Fixed Wireless Access networks;

·      EMIC-1, a partnership with Meta on a 10,000km fibre system from Europe to India;

·      SeaEdge UK1, a data centre and landing station for the North Sea Connect subsea cable, part of the North Atlantic Loop subsea network, improving connectivity between the UK, Ireland, Scandinavia and North America.

The Company's Ordinary Shares were admitted to trading on the Specialist Fund Segment of the Main Market of the London Stock Exchange on 31 March 2021. The Company's ordinary shares were admitted to the premium listing segment of the Official List of the Financial Conduct Authority and to trading on the premium segment of the Main Market on 30 August 2022.

For more information on the Investment Manager please visit www.triplepoint.co.uk. For more information, please visit www.d9infrastructure.com.

Important Notices

Goldman Sachs International, which is authorised by the PRA and regulated by the FCA and the PRA in the United Kingdom, is acting exclusively for D9 and no one else in connection with the matters referred to in this announcement and will not be responsible to anyone other than D9 for providing the protections afforded to clients of Goldman Sachs International, or for providing advice in relation to the matters referred to in this announcement.

 

END