Highline Brasil: Startup Aims to Support Massive Demands on Mobile

BY STAFF REPORT

Homeland Investment Group and Grupo Promon have teamed up to launch a start-up firm that will offer telecom infrastructure outsourcing services to mobile operators in Brazil. The joint venture company is called Highline Brasil and that will invest US$ 300 million in telecom assets across the Latin American country.

To begin with, the startup will set up cell towers and then rent them out to mobile carriers on a long-term contract. Besides towers, Highline Brasil said it would also invest in telecom assets like distributed antenna systems (DAS).

Of the current 60 thousand cellular sites in Brazil, about 15% are controlled by independent operators. But that figure is going to  change soon as the mobile operators in the country have been told to boost their infrastructure . Reports say there has been a rising tide of customer complaints over poor service quality, including dropped calls and patchy coverage, in Brazil, the country which is hosting the World Cup Soccer in 2014 and Olympics in 2016.

The new company, however, stated in a press release that Brazil will see huge money pouring into the telecom sector over the coming years. “We are currently dealing with a poor infrastructure and low quality,” said Highline Brasil.

Former managing director of American Tower, Alexandre Braga, has been appointed as CEO for the new company. American Tower Corporation, part of the global infrastructure provider that builds, manages and operates a network of wireless communication towers in Brazil and other countries around the world.